Winning jockey Corey Brown had Ricetto travelling in the middle of the pack coming to the home turn but once he eased the Oratorio youngster into the clear, he raced away to score by four and three quarter lengths from topweight Fuerza with Gracious Prospect a further one and three quarter lengths away in third spot.

“He felt the winner six hundred from home when he started to travel up,” Brown said.

“Got a little bit green, run out a little on the home turn. Once he balanced up in the straight and I give him one around the tail he really lengthened good.”

“Got to his home track here today and absolutely swam.”

Brown described the heavy track conditions as very tough and was hoping the rain stayed away.

“It’s very tough. They’re labouring quite noticeably on it. Look provided the rain stays away we will have no problem at all.”

Riocetto was only having his third race start and co-trainers Neville and Chris Voigt made the right decision stepping up to 1600m after making up ground over 1200m when fourth in a Randwick maiden at the beginning of the April.

Ricetto was a good result for the bookies, starting at the good odds of $21 with the second and third placegetters, Fuerza and Gracious Prospect both starting at $7.50.

The Clarry Connors trained Rigthoncue was sent out the $4.80 but was one of the first horses beaten with Jim Cassidy hard at work at the 600m to hold his position in the field.

Trainer Gerald Ryan not sure how Charlie Boy (above) will handle the rain affected track on Golden Slipper Day. Photo by Steve Hart.

Rosehill has been rated a slow 7 after receiving 33mm over the past week  with more showers predicted during the day.

Charlie Boy has had the experience of running on a heavy track when third to Sweet Idea in the Group 2 $200,000 Patinack Farm Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on March 2 whereas Dothraki hasn’t raced on anything like today’s surface but was third in Rosehill barrier trial on the heavy.

“To be honest I don’t know. Charlie Boy did run third on a heavy 10, so you’d think he’d handle the track OK, but the other one has never seen anything worse than a dead track, and that wasn’t really a dead track that day,” Ryan said.

“The only way you ever really find out is to run them on it and that’s what we’ll be doing.”

While Charlie Boy, a $26 chance, showed that he is not a complete duffer in the wet, Dothraki is by noted wet track sire Mossman and looks over the odds at $51 after running second to Sidestep in the Group 2 $175,000 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill last week.

Jockey Glyn Schofield, who has ridden both of Ryan’s Golden Slipper runners at all of their starts, has chosen to stick with Charlie Boy while Corey Brown takes over on Dothraki.

The Gai Waterhouse trained Overreach has eased slightly in overnight betting, but is still the clear cut favourite at $2.80 while stablemate Sweet Idea has come in for some solid support and has shortened from $10 to $8.50.

The Peter Snowden trained Sidestep, with the blinkers on for the first time, remains on the $9 line with Villa Verde firming into $11 and Group 1 winning New Zealand filly Ruud Awakening steady at $13.

Waterhouse’s third runner Whittington is a $19 chance.

Snitzerland sets new track record winning the Challenge Stakes at Warwick Farm. Photo by Steve Hart.

Snitzerland stopped the clock at 56.16 seconds to write her name into the record books with a decisive win over the hard finishing No Decision with Howmuchdoyouloveme showing his best form for a while by finishing third, a head in front of warhorse Hay List.

Trainer Gerald Ryan produced Snitzerland in top order first up and once heads were turned for home the heavily back favourite was never in any trouble of being beaten.

“She’s very quick,” Ryan said.

“Today was probably her biggest test. I threw her in the deep end at the end of her preparation in the Patinack last year and she was probably going off but she ran terrific.”

“She’s come back a better filly, a stronger filly and she went into this race today fitter than any other first up runs before.”

“I was surprised Hay List went with her but she kicked off the corner, maintained it all the way to the line and ran a track record in doing it.”

Snitzerland is living up to her early two year old form when second to Pierro in last year’s Group 1 $3.5m AAMI Golden Slipper (1200m) and her Spring form when she won four in a row before coming to the end of her preparation.

Winning jockey Corey Brown had Snitzerland out of the barriers quickly and when the field sorted itself out was sitting outside of Hay List who worked to the front.

Brown was sitting pretty coming into the straight and once he got the better of Hay List, Snitzerlaand had the race in her keeping.

“I travelled really sweetly, once she got into the straight and Hay List was dropping off I was sort of getting there too soon, I knew she was always going to have a good kick,” Brown said.

“When I released her at about the three hundred I thought that they would have to be really good to come off me back and beat me.”

Snitzerland was heavily backed on course to start the $3.30 favourite and scored by two and three quarter lengths from $19 chance Decision Time with Howmuchdoyouloveme ($10) half a length away in third spot.

Hay List ($4.20) ran a mighty race at his first run for almost twelve months and after racing in the lead with Snitzerland sitting outside him, fought hard in the straight until his condition gave out at the hundred metre mark.

Hay List winning 2012 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington, Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

With only twelve horses accepting for the Challenge Stakes, Hay List was able to secure a run after being number sixteen in ballot order because he was classified as a late entry when nominations were extended.

Trainer John McNair said that he had nominated Hay List via the RISA Stable Assist website but after a stewards’ inquiry at Gosford on Monday is was established the nomination had not been received by RISA thus forcing McNair to make the late nomination.

But with all that drama aside, Hay List will run on Saturday and came up with a great draw at barrier two in the twelve horse field.

McNair has had to nurse Hay List to race fitness after the giant sprinter required knee surgery following a bout of colic which has seen him away from the race track for twelve months.

The injury plagued Hay List scored his third Group 1 win in the 2012 Group 1 $1m Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 10 before running second to Foxwedge in the Group 1 $400,000 Power Tracker William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 23 and hasn’t raced since.

Hay List galloped impressively in between races at Warwick Farm last Saturday with Glyn Schofield up but even though he pulled up with a little bit of heat in his troublesome hoof, McNair is confident the seven year old is on target for his return to the racetrack on Saturday.

“I’m pretty happy with him today,” McNair said on Monday morning.

“It is the same hoof he had an infection in eight weeks ago and I resisted putting a poultice on it because I didn’t want to soften it.

“But it is a lot better.

Schofield was more than happy with Hay List’s sizzling gallop over 600 in 33.26s at Warwick Farm on Saturday with the blinkers on.

“Even though John put the blinkers on, he was still pretty casual,” Schofield said.

“It was his most testing work yet and I eased down on him in the last 50 so it was a nice slick time.”

Rosehill trainer Gerald Ryan will saddle up two good chances in the Challenge Stakes with Mrs Onassis back in Sydney after winning the Group 1 $400,000 Sportingbet Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 23 and three year old Snitzerland.

Snitzerland, who was runner-up to Pierro in last year’s Group 1 $3.5m AAMI Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on April 7, had a fantastic Spring with four wins in top company before running fifth in the Group 1 $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) then sixth to Mental in the Group 1 $1m Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) over Melbourne Cup week at Flemington.

Oaleigh Plate winner Mrs Onassis has come up with barrier four with Kerrin McEvoy to ride while Snitzerland drew gate nine with Corey Brown to renew his association with the filly after being aboard for three of her Spring wins.

The Peter Moody trained Golden Archer  has drawn the outside of the field while last year’s Group 1 Galaxy winner Temple Of Boom is resuming and has come up with barrier eight with Melbourne Cup winning jockey Brett Prebble to ride.

Nash Rawiller will appeal a careless riding suspension in an effort to ride Pierro in the Randwick Guineas. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.

Rawiller copped a five-meeting ban for his ride aboard Ivanhoe in race three where stewards deemed he was careless when crossing Jay Ford’s mount Entirely Platinum just before the 1000m mark.

“N Rawiller pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding under AR 137 (a) for permitting his mount to shift in passing the 1000m when insufficiently clear of Entirely Platinum which lost its rightful running and had to be checked,” the Racing NSW steward’s report said.

The suspension will begin following Saturday’s Chipping Norton Stakes meeting at Warwick Farm but doesn’t allow him to return to the saddle until March 17.

That means, unless he is successful in his appeal, Rawiller will miss Pierro’s next expected hit-out in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Warwick Farm on March 16.

The top Sydney jockey was originally hit with a seven-meeting suspension but that was reduced due to a good record and the guilty plea.

Rawiller has been aboard Pierro in 10 of his 11 career starts including his fighting first-up win in the Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.

The only time Pierro has been defeated with Rawiller in the saddle was when he finished second to All Too Hard in the Caulfield Guineas in December.

Corey Brown is the only other jockey to ride Sydney’s top three-year-old, partnering him to a third-place finish in the Cox Plate.

Brown gave himself a solid test at today’s Warwick Farm barrier trial with four rides for trainer Joe Pride and said he pulled up in great shape.

Corey Brown is fit to return to racing after shoulder surgery. Photo by: Taron Clarke

“My shoulder is giving me no trouble at all and it is one hundred per cent compared to what it was,” Brown said.

Brown decided to get a plate removed from his left shoulder over the Christmas period and a careless riding suspension over the New Year gave him two weeks to recover.

“Before the operation I was taking a few or more painkillers a day and they still weren’t working,” Brown said.

“But from the moment I left the hospital I haven’t had a painkiller.

“It was a different type of pain. You could tell something was annoying it … the plate had moved and something was going on.

“Once the pressure was relieved you could just tell. It was gold.”

“I had only planned on giving it one-and-a-half weeks before I got suspended so it’s been a solid two weeks now.”.

“Obviously the longer I had off the better I was going to get.”

Brown has been booked for four rides for the strong Chris Waller stable while his $250,000 2013 Inglis Classic mount isn’t confirmed as the Craig Carmody first starter Everage is not certain of making the fourteen horse field.

Brown will be back on Waller’s import Secessio in the Benchmark 83 Handicap (2000m)  after partnering the four year old to a first up third over 1900m at Canterbury on December 29.

The Group 1 winning jockey will also be on board the Waller trained Riva De Lago in the Benchmark 95 Handicap (1400m), Disciple in the Benchmark 79 Handicap (1500m) and Lock Leven in the Inglis Bonus 3yo Benchmark 74 Handicap (1500m).

Hugh Bowman will compete in the Mauritius International Jockeys' Weekend. Photo by: Taron Clarke

Bowman has settled in with wife Christine after their flight from Perth and is relaxing in the Long Beach Hotel and is looking forward to competing against some of the best known jockeys around the world including Christophe Soumillon, Olivier Peslier, Stephane Pasquier and Mickael Barzalona.

“It’s a lovely country and I was really impressed how my wife Christine and I have been well taken care of since we arrived at the airport and at the Long Beach Hotel. The only hiccup was that one of my bags got left behind in Perth, but it’s all good as it’s on its way here,” Bowman said.

Bowman took on board some advice from Corey Brown, last year’s winner and Mauritius based Melbourne jockey Noel Callow and will soak up the international atmosphere.

“I’ve heard many good things about this contest. Corey gave it a big wrap and I just heard he won it last year,” Bowman said.

“I heard the track (Champ de Mars) is pretty tight. I’ve seen replays and I’ll also get Noel to give me a few pointers.”

Bowman is planning to do some sightseeing as well as riding during the week and some outdoor activities are on the cards.

“But I’d also like to make the most of my one week here. I’m someone who likes to do physical things and I will definitely go scuba diving and big-game fishing.”

Bowman was due for a break after an intense Spring Carnival which included Group 1 wins on Shoot Out in the Group 1 $350,000 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on September 22 and on Norzita in the Group 1 $400,000 Coolmore Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 6.

“It’s been a testing Spring Carnival and it’s also the end of a long year,” Bowman said.

“There isn’t much left till the end of the year other than the Group 2 Villiers Stakes (1600m) on 22 December.

“But I’m looking forward to riding the Coolmore filly Crazyonyou in next January’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m). She’s a relation to Fastnet Rock and won a nice trial, but she ran second last Saturday.

“She’s the sort who prefers to be ridden off the speed, but she was drawn wide and I had to press her forward or it would have turned into a procession.”

Bowman will be back to ride over the Sydney Summer Carnival and then gear up for the Magic Millions Carnival at the Gold Coast in January with Crazyonyou his likely two year old ride in the $2m BMW Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m).

The Anthony Cummings trained filly will benefit from her first up run when second to Gai Waterhouse’s smart youngster Certitude who scored a runaway five lengths win at Rosehill last Saturday.

And trainer Jim Taylor didn’t hide his disappointment when Barakey drew the outside barrier of ten in the weight for age sprint this weekend.

“I was shattered when he drew 10 and Travinator drew one,” Taylor said.

“I would think Travinator would be hard to beat now.

“From out there they’ll all be looking for him.”

Barakey has created a huge following in the west after winning ten from ten and Taylor is stepping the five year old up to the top level after an easy win in the Group 3 $125,000 Yellowglen-Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m) at Ascot on November 6.

Like Barakey, Travinator has come up through the classes and trainer Daniel Pearce is also testing the four year old at Group 1 level after scoring his seventh victory from nine starts with runaway win over 1000m in restricted class at Ascot on November 3.

Travinator had better luck than Barakey at the barrier draw, coming up with gate one, putting a smile on the face of owner breeder Colin Pearce.

“I’m really happy with that,” Pearce said.

“He’s trained on really well.”

Gai Waterhouse’s Hallowell Belle drew near the outside in the small field at seven while Peter Snowden’s representative Pinwheel will start from outside the mare at eight.

Corey Brown will take over on Hallowell Belle from Craig Williams who is in Japan for this weekends’ Japan Cup while stable rider Kerrin McEvoy has retained the ride on seven year old Pinwheel.

Waterhouse’s stable rider Nash Rawiller has elected to ride the Tony Gollan trained Spirit Of Boom after partnering the five year old when second to Fontelina in the Group 2 $300,000 Yellowglen Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on November 3.

Rawiller is sure to give Spirit Of Boom the run of the race from gate two giving the Sequalo entire every chance of winning his first Group 1 race.

The undefeated Barakey has been installed the $2.25 favourite ahead of Travinator and Hallowell Belle who share the next line of betting at $5 with local mare Power Princess at $7.50 and Pinwheel at $9.

Kelinni is Chris Waller's last chance to make the Melbourne Cup. Photo by: Steve Hart

The in-form Kelinni is number thirty-eight in the order of entry in the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington while Permit is three places higher at thirty-five.

Both the Waller gallopers need to win the Group 3 $250,000 The Lexus Stakes (2500m) to gain a ballot free entry in the Melbourne Cup field which will be finalized before the last race at Flemington tomorrow.

“They both need to win to get into the Melbourne Cup and we’re realistic about their chances,” Waller said.

“Kelinni is certainly the form horse of the two and if he wins the race he deserves to be there.

“And if he doesn’t win the race he wasn’t going to win the Melbourne Cup this year anyway.”

Waller hasn’t run Kelinni since finishing second to Glencadam Gold in the Group 1 $400,000 McGrath Estate Agents Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on October 6 but has kept his fitness levels up with a 1200m Warwick Farm barrier trial last Friday.

“He’s a stayer on the rise and I’ve cautiously kept him away from the hustle and bustle and we’ve got him ready to run,” Waller said.

“He’s rock hard fit and we’ve just spaced his run after a couple of tough runs. He had a 1200m burnout at Warwick Farm last week and he hasn’t done any fast work since.”

The Refuse To Bend five year old came through his grades in the early part of the Spring and showed great staying potential in taking out the Group 3 $125,000 Alea Actuarial Consulting Colin Stephen Quality (2400m) at Rosehill on September 29 prior to the Metropolitan.

If Kelinni was to gain entry into the Melbourne Cup with a win in the Lexus, he would drop from 57kg to the luxury weight of 51kg on Tuesday.

Waller admits that stablemate Permit has been struggling of late and has removed the blinkers and added the ear muffs hoping for the six year old to regain some good form.

“Permit is out of form after what looked like his first two runs were a good platform for this preparation,” Waller said.

“I’m not sure what’s wrong with him, it’s nothing obvious. We’ve tinkered with his gear and put some ear muffs on him and taken the blinkers off.”

“If he showed his old form he’d be up to a race like the Lexus but he is struggling to recapture that form.”

While most of the Lexus field is looking to gain exemption from the Melbourne Cup ballot with a win, jockey Glen Boss will be trying his hardest to get English stayer Gatewood across the line first.

If the Geelong Cup winner fails to win tomorrow and misses out on a Melbourne Cup spot, Boss could be without a ride in the Race That Stops The Nation on Tuesday.

Gatewood received a 1kg Melbourne Cup penalty for winning the Group 3 $300,000 Centrebet Geelong Cup (2400m) at Geelong on October 24 but even with 52.5kg, the John Gosden trained stayer is still only thirty-three in order of entry.

Gatewood is the $3 favourite for tomorrow’s Lexus Stakes with Excluded at $6 aand the Bart Cummings trainer Dare To Dream is at $6.50 and Exceptionally at $7.50.

Kelinni is a $11 chance with Nash Rawiller to ride and Permit is at $26 with Corey Brown  in the saddle.

Americain will be ridden by Damien Oliver in the Melbourne Cup. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Oliver’s Spring hit a low when it was announced that he was under investigation for allegedly placing a $10,000 bet through a third party on Miss Octopussy in the same race that he rode Europa Point at Moonee Valley in October 2010.

When the allegations surfaced, Oliver was dumped from Cox Plate second favourite Green Moon, being replaced by Craig Williams and was left without a ride in today’s $3m Group 1 weight for age championship over 2040m at Moonee Valley.

The Melbourne Cup winning jockey was also left on the sidelines at Caulfield after being replaced  by Corey Brown on My Quest Of Peace in the Group 1 $2.5m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) last week.

But Oliver was quick to bounce back by steering Commanding Jewel to secure his fifth Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 17.

Oliver will be replacing French jockey Gerald Mosse who has been the regular rider of Americain and was aboard the Alain de Royer Dupre trained stayer in winning the 2010 Melbourne Cup.

Americain’s owners Kevin and Colleen Bamford and Gerry and Val Ryan have replaced Mosse after the eight year old had an interrupted run when fourth to Dunaden in the Caulfield Cup.

“Gerald’s done a great job in the past,” Gerry Ryan said.

“But, after taking advice from analysts and other racing people, we felt we needed an Australian jockey.

“Damien’s record speaks for itself and we believe he can get the job done.”

This is not the first time Mosse has been dumped from Americain and was replaced by Craig Williams in the Group 1 $500,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on April 28 after the French jockey finished second to Manighar in the Group 1 $2.25m The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill the start before.

Oliver was pleased to pick up the ride on Americain and thinks he has a great chance to add to his two Melbourne Cup victories on 1995 winner Doriemus and the Dermot Weld trained Media Puzzle in 2002.

“It’s a great opportunity to ride a horse of Americain’s calibre in the Melbourne Cup,” Oliver said.

“I think he can win the race.

“I’m very grateful that people of Gerry Ryan and Kevin Bamford’s standing would give me this opportunity.

“Hopefully I can repay their faith in me in spades.”

Americain will now meet Dunaden 1kg better in the Melbourne Cup after the Caulfield Cup winner was penalised for the win and will now carry 59kg after both French stayers were originally handicapped with 58kg for Flemington.

Dunaden still heads the Melbourne Cup markets at $7, just ahead of Americain at $8 with the Luca Cumani trained Mouth Athos at $9 and English stayer Red Cadueax at $12.