Trainer Mick Price will be informing Racing NSW stewards that his colt Flying Artie will have a change of tactics when he lines up in Saturday’s Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill.
Flying Artie, above, will take up a much more forward position in the Golden Slipper at Rosehill. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Price will be instructing Damien Oliver to take up a much more forward position after Flying Artie drew a decent barrier for the first time in three starts, coming up with gate five in the sixteen horse field.
“It is the first time he has drawn a barrier and there is absolutely no reason why we have to ride him as we have been riding him from really bad barriers and trying to work our way around that,” Price said.
“I think it will be a refer to stewards and change of riding instructions and just go forward and put him in the race. D Oliver on and he knows him well.”
“There should be speed on forward, some will get back, and it should put him in a really nice spot.”
Flying Artie drew barrier thirteen two starts back and Oliver had no choice but to settle midfield three wide before making a late run in the straight to win the Group 3 $200,000 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) (1100m) at Caulfield on February 13.
Then from barrier fifteen in the Group 1 $1.5m Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 27 Oliver had to settle the Artie Schiller colt with the tailenders before circling the field on the home turn and did an extremely good job to finish one and three quarter lengths second behind his stalemate Extreme Choice.
As well as Flying Artie, Price will also saddle up favourite Extreme Choice who also drew well at barrier seven.
Extreme Choice has very good tactical speed and jockey Craig Newitt will have no trouble settling the Not A Single Doubt colt just behind the leading division in the early part of the race.
Extreme Choice and Flying Artie ran the quinella in the Blue Diamond and Price can see the pair fighting out the finish again.
“I have got the two horses that have coped with everything and in a pretty good spot I would say,” Price said.
“I think they are the best two colts in the race and if they have a nice run you will see them blast away and they will be very hard to beat both of them.”
Extreme Choice remains the favourite for the Golden Slipper at $3 at Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of stablemate Flying Artie at $5 and Capitalist at $9.
Golden Slipper market order: $3 Extreme Choice, $5 Flying Artie, $9 Capitalist, $10 Kiss And Make Up, $11 Astern, $14 Good Standing, $16 Calliope, $18 Defcon, $19 Scarlet Rain, $26 Telperion, $31 Yankee Rose, $41 Star Turn, Honesty Prevails, $101 Sweet Sherry, $126 Quick Feet, $201 Moqueen, French Fern.
