Lindsay Park co-trainer David Hayes is confident his quartet of runners will test brilliant Queensland filly Houtzen in the 2017 Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Catchy, above, is one of four runners for Lindsay Park in the 2017 Golden Slipper at Rosehill. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Hayes along with his partners, son Ben Hayes and nephew Tom Dabernig have qualified four fillies to run in the richest two year old race in the world, Blue Diamond Stakes winner, third and fourth placegetters Catchy, Formality and Tulip as well as the well performed Madeenaty.
The unbeaten Fastnet Rock filly Catchy is the pick of the Lindsay Park Team after winning the Group 1 $1.5m Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 25 but Tulip did look impressive in winning the Group 3 $175,000 Chandon S Magic Night Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill last Saturday on a rain affected track.
Hayes said he knows that the Toby Edmonds trained filly Houtzen is the one to beat after also remaining undefeated with the $2m Jeep Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on January 14 among her four wins.
“I’ve seen Houtzen close up. She’s a high quality filly. No question,” Hayes said on Radio TAB’s Past The Post on Sunday.
“(But) the first hint of Melbourne in Sydney looks pretty good. Tulip was fourth in the Diamond and dominated (in the Magic Night).
“Formality and Catchy are working beautifully on the Sydney leg, they are lightly raced and they are starting to peak and I’m sure they are going to run well.”
A full complement of sixteen two year olds plus three emergencies made up the final field for the 2017 Golden Slipper when it was released this morning.
Last year’s winning trainers Peter and Paul Snowden will saddle up two runners in Blue Diamond Stakes runner up Pariah and the smart Snitzel colt Invader, and hope one of them can replicate Capitalist’s win twelve months ago.
Gary Portelli’s flying filly She Will Reign suffered her first defeat when second to Golden Slipper rival Frolic on a heavy track in the Group 2 $300,000 Affinity Shopping Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on March 4 but is certain to be one of the main forces come Saturday and the Warwick Farm trainer will also saddle up last week’s Pago Pago Stakes winner Single Bullet..
Early market order for the Golden Slipper at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.80 Houtzen, $5 She Will Reign, $7 Catchy, $10 Pariah, $11 Tulip, $12 Frolic, $17 Invader, Menari, $26 Formality, Teaspoon, Veranillo, Single Bullet, Trekking, $34 Trapeze Alert, $51 Chauffeur, Medeenaty, Diamond Tathagata, $101 Showtime, $201 The Mission.
