Paul Perry will be represented in the 2014 Golden Slipper by Modoc and is clearly delighted to have his first runner in the race since he took out the 2005 edition of the event with Stratum.
Blake Shinn will ride Modoc in the 2014 Golden Slipper at Rosehill Gardens this weekend. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Perry has had just three runners in the Golden Slipper, but has had plenty of success in the Group 1 event; winning with Stratum in 2005 after finishing fourth with Fastnet Rock in 2004 and third with Choisir in 2002.
The leading Newcastle trainer looked as though he was going to narrowly miss out on having a runner in the 2014 Golden Slipper, with Modoc sitting 17th in the order of entry, but the Haradasun gelding received the final spot in the field for the $3.5 million event after Team Hawkes elected not to accept with London Lolly.
Perry confirmed yesterday that Modoc will take his place in the 2014 Golden Slipper field and told AAP that he was excited to have his first runner in the race for a decade.
“We will pay up and Blake will ride again,” Perry said.
“I don’t think I’ve had a Slipper runner since Stratum so it’s good to be in the race again.”
Modoc made his racing debut with back-to-back wins at Newcastle and Scone in January and worked home strongly when third behind Gold Force in the Inglis Premier (1200m) at Mornington on February 12.
The two-year-old did plenty of wrong when making his debut at Group level in the Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens and worked home fairly from the tail of the field to finish third in the Group 2 Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on March 15.
Modoc was once again ridden towards the tail of the field in the Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) and made up ground to finish fourth behind Time For War in a performance that satisfied Perry ahead of the 2014 Golden Slipper this weekend.
“I thought it was a good run,” Perry said.
“He went on a couple of different paths and perhaps should have been a bit closer to the winner.
“Blake (Shinn) said he handled the wet track a lot better than he did in the Silver Slipper so that was encouraging.”
Modoc is currently a clear outsider in 2014 Golden Slipper betting markets and is available at odds of $151 to give Perry his second victory in the feature two-year-old event on the Australian racing calendar.
