The Robert Smerdon trained Fontiton has climbed to the top of the Order Of Entry for the Group 1 $3.5m Tooheys New Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 21 after a dominant win at Caulfield last Saturday.
Fontiton heads the Order Of Entry for the Golden Slipper at Rosehill. Photo by Adrienne Bicknell.
Fontiton leapfrogged stablemate Thurlow by collecting the $120,000 first prizemoney cheque by winning the Group 2 $200,000 Sportingbet Blue Diamond Prelude (F) (1100m) and heads the list with $210,750 in eligible prizemoney.
But Smerdon will wait until after the running of the Group 1 $1m Sportingbet Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 28 before committing to a start at Rosehill.
The Mark Riley trained Of The Brave has moved up to third on the list with $162,500 in the bank courtesy of his narrow win in the Group 3 $150,000 Sportingbet Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) for the colts and geldings at Caulfield.
But the Starspangledbanner colt is also on target to run in the Blue Diamond Stakes before a Sydney trip is planned.
Unbeaten colt Vancouver from the Gai Waterhouse stable is next in the Order Of Entry with $150,800 in prizemoney and will get his chance to jump to the top of the list if he can pick up the $150,000 first prize cheque in the Group 2 $250,000 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill this Saturday.
Fifth and sixth in the Order Of Entry for the Golden Slipper are the first two of the strong Godolphin team, Haptic and Antelucan.
Exceed And Excel colt Haptic picked up $75,000 for his win in the Listed $125,000 DX Solutions Lonhro Plate (1100m) at Randwick last Saturday taking his total earnings to $123,750 and trainer John O’Shea is thinking of sending him into the Golden Slipper without another run.
“Haptic probably doesn’t need to have another run, he is a horse who likes time between runs,” O’Shea said..
“We could just trial him and go straight to the Slipper.”
While Antelucan didn’t add anything to her $91,500 after failing to beat a runner home in the Blue Diamond Prelude for the fillies after suffering severe interference during the race.
The Godolphin team under the guidance of O’Shea also has another six youngsters up to equal eighteenth in the Order Of Entry – Furnaces (9th, $73,750), Sampeah (10th, $62,250), Calaverite (11th, $61,250), Bantam (14th $54,750), Holler (=18th $48,750), and Ottoman (=18th, $48.750).
Ladbrokes.com.au Golden Slipper market order: $7 Ottoman, Vancouver, $8 Fontiton, $11 Haptic, Headwater, $13 Furnaces, Paceman, $15 Exosphere, $17 Ghisoni, Holler, Lake Geneva, Sooboog.
