The Godolphin owned Veranillo can move one step closer to claiming a spot in the Golden Slipper with a winning performance in the Listed $125,000 Hinchinbrook Plate (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer John O’Shea, above, will saddle up Veranillo in the Hinchinbrook Plate at Randwick. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Veranillo is a winner of his only start when he scored on debut in an 1100m 2yo Handicap at Rosehill on November 12 and is currently sixteenth in the order of entry for the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 18.

Trainer John O’Shea is expecting the Medaglio D’Oro colt to keep improving on his debut wins and was pleased with his third in a 794m barrier trial at Warwick Farm on January 23.

“He showed us a lot of promise when he won in the spring and he trialled quite nicely last week,” O’Shea said.

“He’s on trial for a Golden Slipper run and will have one more lead up run, probably in the Skyline.

“At this stage he’s in the top five of our two-year-olds.”

O’Shea has selected the Group 2 $200,000 Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on February 25 as Veranillo’s final lead up run for the Golden Slipper.

James Doyle rides Veranillo who has drawn nicely at barrier four in the Hinchinbrook Plate which has been reduced to ten runners with the early scratchings of Momentum To Win and Grasslands.

In a tight betting race, the Team Hawkes trained Eden Roc at $3.60 holds a slight advantage over Veranillo at $3.70 at the top of the market order for the Hinchinbrook Plate at Ladbrokes.com.au while on the third line of betting at $6.50 is the Peter and Paul Snowden trained Taking Aim.

Eden Roc will wear the winkers for the first time and with Tommy Berry to ride from barrier seven will be trying to redeem himself for the punters that took the $1.70 when second to the James Cummings trained filly Exceeds in a 1000m 2yo Plate at Randwick on January 21.