Trainer Chris Waller hoping to keep Wodeton focused late in Golden Slipper bid

Long-time favourite Wodeton has drawn well in the Golden Slipper with trainer Chris Waller hoping to bring the best out of him at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Champion trainer Chris Waller has made a significant change in a bid to help long-time $5m Golden Slipper favourite Wodeton fulfil his two-year-old destiny at Rosehill Gardens this Saturday.

Wodeton has been the horse to beat in Australia’s most coveted two-year-old event since his explosive debut victory back in January on his home track Rosehill.

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But since then Wodeton has suffered two subsequent defeats, finishing third in the Group 3 Silver Slipper Stakes and runner-up in the Group 2 Todman Stakes.

Waller has tinkered with the gear in a bid to help Wodeton get his mind on the job on grand final day.

“We didn’t go with the full blinkers, we’ve gone the winkers just to help him concentrate probably more the second half of the race, not the first half, we want to switch him off and relax,” the master trainer said at Tuesday’s barrier event.

• Group 1 Golden Slipper: Final field and barrier draw

“The winkers will help that and make him focus the last bit.”

Wodeton remains the $4.50 top pick for the Golden Slipper after he was one of several leading contenders to draw favourably at Tuesday’s all-important barrier draw.

Long-time Golden Slipper favourite drew barrier two. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

The exciting son of Wootton Bassett is set to get the gun run from barrier two with champion rider James McDonald aboard.

Waller has continued to learn about Wodeton this preparation and announced his intention is to have the classy colt ridden more conservative in the Slipper.

“Now he has had three races under his belt, we’ve learned he can be ridden that touch much conservative, put the handbrake on and be able to finish off,” Waller said.

“We have done that in a couple of his track workouts and they’ve been very good so we will ride him more conservative.

“He’s had the three race starts and comes into it well educated and very fit.”

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Waller won the Golden Slipper for the first time two years ago in partnership with Coolmore with Shinzo, which benefited from the inside draw.

Godolphin filly Tempted will be the only horse to Wodeton’s inside on Saturday after drawing barrier one for the feature.

Tempted is the second favourite for the Golden Slipper. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images.

She will be one of two James Cummings-trained juveniles in the Slipper field with Silver Slipper Stakes winning stablemate Beiwacht ($51) drawn wide.

Gai Waterhouse, training alongside Adrian Bott, will have three chances to add to her Slipper tally – namely North England ($15), Farcited ($81) and Bellazaine ($21) drawing gates nine, 17 and 15 respectively.

Blue Diamond Stakes victor Devil Night ($12) is the best of two contenders for Michael, John and Wayne Hawkes, who also saddle up Golden Gift runner-up West Of Swindon ($21).

Three-time winner Rivellino ($9), trained by Kris Lees, was another big winner at Tuesday’s draw landing barrier three.

Hong Kong-based Aussie superstar Hugh Bowman will return to Sydney to pilot the unbeaten colt.

Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou had mixed fortunes with Skyhook ($8) and King Of Pop ($26) jumping from eight and 18 while Bjorn Baker’s Within The Law ($15) has to overcome gate 13.

Fields for the remaining four Group 1 races on Golden Slipper day will be released on Wednesday morning.

Originally published as Trainer Chris Waller hoping to keep Wodeton focused late in Golden Slipper bid