Trainer Tony McEvoy is banking on the early Melbourne two year old form to boost his confidence with his colt Risen From Doubt as he kicks off his Golden Slipper campaign in the Group 2 $250,000 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Risen From Doubt kicks off his Golden Slipper campaign in the Silver Slipper Stakes. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
McEvoy produced Risen From Doubt to win on debut in the Listed $120,000 Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on October 5 at the start of last year’s Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Risen From Doubt was able to score by two and a half lengths and left behind him the Mick Price trained Jabali and the speedy youngster Boomwaa.
Jabali has the made the form look extra special after he came out and ran second to Earthquake in last Saturday’s Group 1 $1m Sportingbet Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
While Boomwaa came out and scored a three lengths win in the Group 3 $150,000 The Hong Kong Jockey Club Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) at Flemington on November 9.
“From my point of view, it is very pleasing to see how well the form from Risen From Doubt’s Flemington win has held up since,’’ McEvoy told The Daily Telegraph.
McEvoy resisted the temptation to chase the riches of the $2m Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast in January and the Blue Diamond Stakes to concentrate on the Group 1 $3.5m Tooheys New Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on April 5.
“He hasn’t been to the Gold Coast for the Magic Millions or Melbourne for the Blue Diamond so he is on fresh legs for a Slipper campaign,’’ McEvoy said.
“The colt is really good and has done everything right. He’s settled in well at Hawkesbury, hasn’t left an oat, and he had a nice, easy trial win at Wyong last week.”
Leading Sydney jockey Hugh Bowman got a feel of the Not A Single Doubt colt in a win in an 800m Wyong barrier trial on February 19 and McEvoy is hoping he rides him the same way as Nicholas Hall did in winning down the Flemington straight.
“I hope Hughie can ride him patiently in the Silver Slipper and let him finish off the way he did at Flemington,’ McEvoy said.
Risen From Doubt will be taking on this year’s Magic Millions 2yo Classic winner Unencumbered and Gai Waterhouse’s undefeated colt Law who has won both his starts to date over 1000m at Randwick.
McEvoy has picked out the Group 2 $300,000 Todman Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on March 22 as the colt’s final lead up for the Golden Slipper and he hopes that Risen From Doubt will have shown enough to go on to the Group 1 $1m Inglis ATC Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 12.
“He will still have something left in the tank for the Sires if we want to go on further,’’ McEvoy said.
In a small but hotly contested two year old race, Ladbrokes.com.au have the Magic Millions winner Unencumbered the $2.90 favourite for the Silver Slipper Stakes just ahead of Law at $3.70, Risen From Doubt at $3.80 and Mossfun from the Team Hawkes stable at $4.60.
And in Golden Slipper betting Risen From Doubt is on the fourth line of betting at $12 behind Earthquake, the $2.90 favourite, Unencumbered at $7.50 and Law at $11.
