Early season two year old winner Performer has been installed as the favourite for the 2018 Group 1 $3.5m Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill during the Sydney Autunm Carnival.

Performer, above, has been installed the early favourite for the 2018 Golden Slipper Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.

Performer, above, has been installed the early favourite for the 2018 Golden Slipper Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.

Ladbrokes.com.au have marked Performer at $8 after the Chris Waller trained juvenile stole the show with a debut win in the Listed $150,000 Arrowfield Breeders’ Plate (1000m) at Randwick on September 30.

Waller hasn’t targeted the early two year old races in recent years, instead concentrating on success later in the season, but this year he was able to prepare Performer to win the first juvenile race of the season.

“We’ve started targeting some nice colts with running speed, which we haven’t really done in the past because we’ve been targeting milers,” Waller told AAP.

“It’s a whole new system we have put in place.”

“Now we’re identifying a few early types and allowing them to get through to the races so that might see us get some more two year old types next year.”

On the second line of betting at $13 is the Peter and Paul Snowden trained Bondi who was runner up to Performer in the Breeders’ Plate.

The Snitzel colt was sent out as one of the main fancies in the Breeders’ Plate but found the Waller trained Performer too strong on the day.

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Setsuna is on the third line of betting at $15 and has already stamped herself as a classy youngster with two wins on the board from three race starts.

Setsuna finished second on debut to Satin Slipper in the Listed $150,000 Keeneland Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on September 30 and then went on to win twice during the Melbourne Spring Carnival.

The Choisir filly was too smart for the field in the $250,000 Inglis Banner (1000m) at The Valley on October 28 and then led all of the way down the Flemington straight to take out the Group 3 $150,000 Emirates 100th A380 Stakes on Melbourne Cup Day.

The Snowden trained Satin Slipper has been marked as a $26 chance for the 2018 Golden Slipper.

Early market order for the 2018 Golden Slipper Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $8 Performer, $13 Bondi, $15 Setsuna, $17 Elessedil, $21 Neutrality, $26 Satin Slipper, Al Hasa, Dynamited, Landon, Legend Of Condor, Plague Stone, Secret Lady, $34 Invincible Lad, Avantage, Fury Of The Storm, Gododdin, Hemsted, Intensity, L’Amour Triomphe, Pacific Crest, Qafila, Reelem In Ruby, Santos, Spin, $41 or better the rest.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.