A field of 16 horses has been named to contest this Saturday’s Group 1 $3.5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) at Sydney’s Rosehill Gardens.

With superstar colt All Too Hard this morning withdrawn from Slipper contention, unbeaten Samaready has become the clear favourite in the world’s richest two-year-old race.

Samaready

Samaready is now the horse to beat in the Golden Slipper - photo (c) Steven Downden

The More Than Ready filly has proved a class above in her young career with the highlight being a dominant three-length win in the Blue Diamond Stakes.

If all goes to plan for the Mick Priced-trained horse, she will reproduce the feat of last year’s Blue Diamond winner Sepoy who went on to win the Golden Slipper.

She exists as the top of eight fillies who will go head to head with eight males in the glamour event.

Leading Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse will have five runners in the race, the most of any trainer.

Headlining the Waterhouse-trained horses is Pierro who will start as second favourite following the withdrawal of All Too Hard.

A son of Lohnro, Pierro has produced some impressive lead-up form and remains unbeaten from three starts.

The promising colt gained automatic Golden Slipper entry when he won the Silver Slipper Stakes in early March before again taking victory in the Group 2 Todman Stakes on March 24.

He exists as the most likely challenger to Samaready after trainer John Hawkes this morning confirmed All Too Hard would be saved for the Sires Produce Stakes next weekend.

“Golden Slippers are very, very tough races. There’s a lot of aggression and thrashing and bashing,” Hawkes said.

“In some ways I wish he was running. If he had run and won it would be a real fairytale but things can always work the wrong way.”

Other trainers to feature heavily in this year’s Golden Slipper include John O’Shea and Gerald Ryan who each have three horses running.

The barrier draw for will take place at 12 noon today.

Golden Slipper Field

# Horse Jockey Trainer Weight
1. PIERRO Nash Rawiller Gai Waterhouse 56.5kg
2. EPAULETTE Kerrin McEvoy Peter Snowden 56.5kg
3. RACEWAY Hugh Bowman Gai Waterhouse 56.5kg
4. AMORINO Steven Arnold Gerald Ryan 56.5kg
5. FAUSTUS Jim Cassidy John O’Shea 56.5kg
6. ASHOKAN James McDonald John O’Shea 56.5kg
7. NARCISSUS Peter Robl Peter Snowden 56.5kg
8. SHELFORD Brett Prebble John O’Shea 56.5kg
9. SAMAREADY Craig Newitt Mick Price 54.5kg
10. NO LOOKING BACK Craig Williams Gai Waterhouse 54.5kg
11. DRIEFONTEIN Tommy Berry Gai Waterhouse 54.5kg
12. JADE MARAUDER Glyn Schofield Chris Waller 54.5kg
13. SNITZERLAND Corey Brown Gerald Ryan 54.5kg
14. CAVALRY ROSE Christian Reith Gerald Ryan 54.5kg
15. DOUBTFILLY Damien Oliver Stuart Kendrick 54.5kg
16. LATER GATOR (NZ) Luke Nolen Gai Waterhouse 54.5kg

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