Golden Slipper placegetter Flying Artie looks set to continue his Sydney Autumn Carnival campaign in the Group 1 $1m Inglis Sires’ (1400m) at Randwick on April 2, the first day of ‘The Championships’.
Flying Artie, above, looks set to run in the Inglis Sires’ at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Mick Price trained Flying Artie ran a courageous third to Capitalist in the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill last Saturday and the step up to the 1400m in a fortnight will suit him perfectly.
“Flying Artie came through the race well enough to suggest he could run in the Sires’,” Price told racing.com.
“But a final decision on that will be made in the next seven to ten days.”
After being hit with wide barriers at his previous two starts and being forced to race in the second half of the field, Price instructed Damien Oliver to have Flying Artie closer to the pace in the Golden Slipper after drawing barrier four.
Oliver had the Victorian colt travelling just behind the leaders but he couldn’t keep up with the Peter and Paul Snowden trained Capitalist when he dashed pass him in the straight to score a half a length win over the fast finishing Yankee Rose with a further one and three quarter lengths to Flying Artie in the third spot.
Two starts earlier Oliver had to settle Flying Artie back in the field from barrier thirteen before he flew home to win the Group 3 $200,000 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) (1100m) at Caulfield on February 13.
Oliver than had to adopt the same tactics in the Group 1 $1.5m Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield two weeks later after drawing barrier fifteen in the sixteen horse field.
Flying Artie showed his courage again and after racing wide in the early stages and becoming unbalanced when pushed off the track on the home turn, rattled home to finish second to stablemate Extreme Choice.
In contrast, Extreme Choice had no luck in the Golden Slipper and after missing the start and getting squeezed out the back, the $3.20 favourite could only make up a little ground in the straight to finish eighth, four and a quarter lengths behind the winner.
While Flying Artie looks like extending his Autumn Carnival campaign in the Inglis Sires‘, Price said that Extreme Choice will be sent to the paddock before being set for the Group 1 $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) for the three year olds at Flemington during the Melbourne Spring Carnival.
“He pulled up OK but he’ll go straight to the paddock and be set for the Coolmore in the spring,” Price said.
