Gunnison will head to the 2017 Golden Slipper at Rosehill Gardens in a fortnight after he recorded a tough victory in the Todman Stakes at Royal Randwick this afternoon.

Gunnison and Invader fought out the finish in the 2017 Todman Stakes at Royal Randwick this afternoon. Photo by: Steve Hart

Gunnison took up the running in the early stages of the Todman Stakes, but there were plenty of moves behind him as Tim Clark got going a long way from home on Menari.

Blake Shinn took Gunnison to the outside of the straight and he gave a kick at the 300 metre mark to fight off Menari, but it was stablemate Invader that was the main danger with 150 metres left to run.

Invader got even with Gunnison inside the final 50 metres, but he was never able to go past his stablemate and it was Gunnison that clung on for a narrow victory.

Gunnison was having just his second race after he made his racing debut with a narrow victory in the Affinity Lightning Ridge Plate (1000m) at Canberra on February 19 and he will go into the 2017 Golden Slipper at Rosehill Gardens on March 18 as a clear favourite.

Menari was the big disappointment in the race and jockey Tim Clark said after the race that the Snitzel colt didn’t appreciate the heavy Royal Randwick surface and died on his run late.