Luck at the barrier draw is one thing, but luck in running in the world's richest two-year-old race, the Golden Slipper, is essential for any horse to triumph in this exacting helter-skelter over 1,200 metres.
Luck at the barrier draw is one thing, but luck in running in the world's richest two-year-old race, the Golden Slipper, is essential for any horse to triumph in this exacting helter-skelter over 1,200 metres.
Trainer John O'Shea, for one, will be hoping his luck holds. O'Shea could not believe his good fortune when his quartet of Godolphin contenders all drew well in Saturday's Golden Slipper at Rosehill Gardens. Even the most-fancied of them, Exosphere, the widest in 10, can be considered to have a decent gate.
Gai Waterhouse made light of her Vancouver drawing off the track in barrier 18, pointing out that half of her late father Tommy Smith's squadron of Slipper winners had started wide. But it remains a fact that the wider the draw, the harder it becomes to get a trouble-free run.
Team Godolphin's trio of globally retained jockeys, James McDonald, William Buick and James Doyle, were together for a photo shoot in front of the Sydney Opera House in the Slipper build-up during the week. They spoke of their pride in being involved with the Godolphin operation.
Doyle said: "The fact that I'm in Sydney shows the global opportunities you can get. It's the biggest (racing) firm in the world. When they come knocking on the door, it doesn't take long to decide what to do."
Exosphere, a son of Lonhro, has been freshened up by O'Shea for a tilt at the huge prize, and with McDonald to ride, is the stable's preferred, though the impression given is that victory for any one of the Godolphin quartet would not come as a shock.
Hugh Bowman has picked up the ride on Furnaces, who was second to Vancouver in the G2 Todman Stakes, over 1,200 metres, and O'Shea has fitted winkers (cheek pieces) to get the colt focused from his inside draw of 1. He is almost certain to be on the pace all the way.
Doyle will be aboard the unbeaten Haptic from barrier 3, with Buick, who rode a winner in Sydney last weekend, on the filly Ottoman, who jumps from gate 8.
This is the first running of the Golden Slipper since Sheikh Mohammed's Australian racing stock came under the Godolphin banner, wearing the world-famous royal blue colours. With four well-credentialed runners, O'Shea has the chance to make his mark at his first opportunity as the stable's No 1 trainer in Australia.
Furnaces, Haptic and Ottoman are all by Exceed and Excel, which underlines the influence that sire Danehill has on the world's richest two-year-old race. Only English and Look To The Stars are free of the Danehill bloodline.
Headwater, another son of Exceed and Excel, prepared by Team Hawkes, has drawn 11 for jockey Glen Boss, while globe-trotting Ryan Moore has come in for the ride on Odyssey Moon, who will start from 13.
