Rosehill Racing: 2017 Golden Slipper Betting Tips
Longines Golden Slipper 1200m – Group 1
Cracking edition of the Golden Slipper this year which could produce a superstar in years to come.
There’s been a few saying there won’t be much speed with the announcement that Madeenaty will be ridden with cover, but I still think there will be plenty of speed on early. Expect Houtzen to come across from barrier 16 and probably lead, and I think we’ll see She Will Reign slide forward too providing she starts cleanly. Veranillo, Trapeze Artist, Diamond Tathagata and Formality are all others I expect to go forward so I think we’ll still see a pretty genuine tempo set.
In the past 28 years there’s been five Slipper’s run on Heavy ground and four of the winners have settled in the second half of the field and I think we’ll see the winner come from off the pace again this year.
It’s very rare that Melbourne form gets the advantage of Sydney form but we saw Tulip win last week and I really think Catchy could be a star in the making, and that’s who I’m tipping. She made Tulip look second-rate when winning the Blue Diamond in what can only be described as an extremely impressive performance. Her 1200m Diamond time was quicker than Houtzen’s Magic Millions time and the way Tulip came out and won last week suggests her formline is red hot. She’ll settle in midfield or worse from barrier 8 and hopefully show the dynamite turn of foot we saw in the Diamond. The obvious query is the heavy track, but I’m willing to take the punt on her handling it.
I mentioned Tulip winning last week and she did it in good style. Bred by Pierro, it seems she appreciated the Soft ground on the day and suggests she should also handle the heavy track that we’ll have today. She will also get a great run from barrier 10 off the speed, but the query for her will be the quick back up. In the last five Slippers run on heavy ground, 18 horses have been on the quick back up and only three have placed. I do think she’s the value in the race, though.
She Will Reign seems to have lost a few admirers after her first defeat last start but I’m more than willing to forgive her for that. Frolic was the horse that beat her (and must also rate a chance in this) but she found the monorail that was the outside rail before anyone realised how much better the ground was out there. After that race every winner came down the outside rail and I’m willing to say She Will Reign may have won had she been taken to the outside rail. She’s won easily on heavy ground before and I’d suggest the $7 available for her now is great odds.
The favourite for the race is Houtzen. She of course took out the Gold Coast Magic Millions, leading throughout after drawing the widest barrier. She’ll have to do similar today from barrier 16 and I’d expect them to take her straight to the front as is the norm for her. She won carrying 63kg last start and she’s bolted in at both starts on Soft ground so far so that is an encouraging sign going on to heavy ground for the first time. No surprises to see her win but I’ll be taking her on today.
Frolic of course has to come into calculations after a big win over She Will Reign last start but as mentioned above, she may have been flattened by the outside rail bias on the day. Menari and Pariah should run well but I’d be surprised if the winner came outside of Catchy, Houtzen, She Will Reign or Tulip.
1st CATCHY
2nd SHE WILL REIGN
3rd HOUTZEN
4th TULIP
