The Gai Waterhouse trained English became a real Golden Slipper hope after winning the Group 2 $300,000 Guinness Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Randwick today.

English was only having her second race start after scoring on debut in a Kembla Grange maiden on January 31 and made enough improvement for Waterhouse to consider her a real chance in the Group 1 $3.5m Tooheys New Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill in a fortnight.

English is a real Golden Slipper hope after winning the Reisling Stakes at Royal Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart

“As Rob (husband Rob Waterhouse) said to me this morning she would have to improve six seconds and I said to him she has,” Waterhouse said.

“This is a very very special filly. She was bred by the Kellys at Newhaven Park, she is superbly bred by Encosta De Lago, she has made the weight for age improvement. I can’t fault her.”

“Today was her chance of saying I am a real live Slipper hope.”

“She goes in on her third run, perfect timing.”

English was a little slow to leave the barriers but Blake Shinn had her travelling smoothly midfield in the early stages of the race before moving off the fence at the 500m when Hugh Bowman made a forward move on Stay With Me.

Shinn was then able to get English ($2.60 favourite) into the clear at the top of the straight and gave the filly a free run to the live to beat Ottoman ($7) by three quarters of a length with Fireworks ($9.50) a neck away in third spot.

“I was so impressed with that win. She relaxed really nicely,” Shinn said.

“The race changed complexion mid race when Hughie went forward and I had to get off the rail. She reacted to that nicely”

“From the 500m I was supremely confident, she ambled up at the rise and put them away pretty quickly and had a bit in hand on the post.”