Golden Slipper Day: Jockeys to make sacrifices to keep racing going during coronavirus crisis
The Golden Slipper has taken another blow, with one-time favourite Cellsabeel becoming the second scratching this week - opening the door for an unbeaten Melbourne filly.
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Cellsabeel, the one-time Golden Slipper favourite, is out of Saturday’s big race at Rosehill Gardens.
Trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace this morning advised Racing NSW stewards that Cellsabeel was “not 100 per cent” after completing trackwork.
Cellsabeel, who has been struggling with a hoof issue for some weeks, was then withdrawn from the Golden Slipper on veterinary advice.
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With Cellsabeel’s scratching, second emergency Minhaaj, the boom, unbeaten Melbourne filly trained by David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, gains a start in the $3.5 million dash for cash.
Cellsabeel is the second Golden Slipper scratching since the final field and barrier draw was announced on Tuesday.
Global Quest was taken out of the race on Wednesday morning with another Maher-Eustace youngster, first emergency Rathlin gaining a start.
RACING TRIES TO MOVE PAST VIRUS DRAMA
Meanwhile, Jean Van Overmeire says the jockeys will do “whatever it takes” to ensure racing continues as the coronavirus threatens Sydney’s autumn carnival.
Van Overmeire has his first ride in the $3.5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) on Saturday when he partners See You Soon as he and his peers isolate themselves from the world to stop the virus getting into the jockeys’ room.
“It’s the only thing people are talking about and it’s definitely putting people in panic mode and that’s not the right thing to do,” Van Overmeire said.
The industry woke to the news on Wednesday morning that Great Britain had suspended racing for at least the next six weeks.
Losing racing for that period of time in Sydney would be devastating given more than $33 million in prizemoney will be won during the next five weeks of the carnival.
Racing NSW is taking all sorts of measures to ensure the industry participants aren’t exposed to the virus or pass it on to each other. To elp ease the burden on jockeys, Racing NSW has also confirmed minimum weights will be raised 1kg (53kg to 54kg) effective from Monday, March 23.
“Racing NSW is to raise minimum weights by 1kg for the health benefit of jockeys and improve their resistance to getting sick,’’ Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys said.
“The well-being of our participants is paramount” Mr V’landys added. “This change will stay in place indefinitely until the virus situation changes”.
The winner of Saturday’s Slipper at Rosehill Gardens will basically celebrate on their own. Even the jockeys will be separated around the empty course. Van Overmeire has a good chance to win the Slipper on trainer Jean Dubois’s French filly See You Soon.
“It’s a bit surreal at the moment to be honest,” Van Overmeire said.
“If you asked me 12 months ago whether I’d be riding in the Slipper or not I’d be saying no chance because of all the injuries I’ve had (broken should and wrist).
“There was a time when I just wanted to go to the races and ride winners, I didn’t care where it was. Here we are now in the richest two-year-old race.”
Two years ago Van Overmeire rode Aylmerton to a debut win but missed the ride on the Dubois-trained runner in the Slipper but that’s not the occasion as Van Overmeire has proved to be one the best apprentices in the country.
“That was the owners’ decision after Coolmore bought him (Aylmerton),” he said.
“Who knows if I would have stayed on him because at that stage I was still very inexperienced as a ride. I feel like I have matured over the past year. The injuries made me think about racing more. It’s a great thrill that I’ve been able to stay with this filly.”
From barrier eight the $14 hope should get a better run than she did last start when second behind Dame Giselle in the Reisling Stakes.
“You’d like to think I’ll get the ideal run but anything can happen in a Slipper,” Van Overmeire said.
“She was first-up up from one trial off a spell. Considering how steady the speed was then how quickly she let down to come from the tail of the field, I thought it was quite impressive.
“I thought I was going to win it 10m from the line but we didn’t get the bob of the head.
“I think she’ll be suited by a nice tempo of a Slipper.”
Meantime, Racing NSW stewards have approved the scratching of Global Quest from the Golden Slipper on veterinary advice. Trainer Chris Waller said the blood profile of the colt had not improved and he was unable to work Global Quest on Wednesday morning.
GAI: FARNAN’S A PERFECT FIT FOR SLIPPER
Gai Waterhouse has compared Farnan favourably with her previous Golden Slipper-winning colts in the build-up to the world’s richest juvenile race at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Waterhouse, chasing a record seventh win in the Golden Slipper, said Farnan has similar traits to her former champion two-year-olds Sebring (2008), Pierro (2012) and Vancouver (2015).
“With Pierro, Sebring, Vancouver and now Farnan, they all have very different personalities but they have some things in common,’’ Waterhouse said.
“Each colt was very athletic, had a great aptitude for work and a lovely cruising speed and Farnan has these qualities in abundance.
“They were all dominant two-year-olds and that is what Farnan has done this season.
“He won in the spring, he had his trip away to the Gold Coast which was the makings of him, and he has won the two major lead-up races.’’
Farnan earned favouritism for the $3.5 million Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) after he romped away with the Silver Slipper and Todman Stakes.
But after Farnan drew wide in barrier 14, he eased in TAB Fixed Odds betting from $5 out to $6 and was usurped as race favourite.
Waterhouse isn’t concerned by the barrier draw, maintaining Farnan has the tactical speed to overcome the gate while pointing out Vancouver came from the extreme outside of the field in barrier 16 when he won the race five years ago.
Racing’s first lady, who has also won the Golden Slipper with fillies Ha Ha (2001) and Overreach (2013), and with Triple Crown-winning gelding Dance Hero (2004), shares the Golden Slipper training record with her late father, Tommy Smith.
Farnan can provide Waterhouse with the Golden Slipper training record and her first since forming a training partnership with Adrian Bott. In other Slipper barrier draw news:
#Blue Diamond winner Tagaloa is the new favourite at $5 after drawing barrier 6.
#The Ciaron Maher-David Eustace stable has five Slipper runners with Prague, Away Game, Muntaseera and Rathlin.
#Mamaragan is the only unbeaten runner in the Golden Slipper field.
#There are seven colts and nine fillies in the race.
#Fillies have won 28 of the 63 runnings of the Golden Slipper including the last three in succession with She Will Reign (2017), Estijaab (2018) and Kiamichi (2019).
#Minhaaj, the race’s second emergency, has drawn barrier 13, the only starting position which has never produced a Golden Slipper winner.
Trent Busuttin, co-trainer with Natalie Young of Blue Diamond winner Tagaloa, said he will be instructing jockey Michael Walker to try and take full advantage of his colt’s favourable draw. “We want to be right up there on the speed,’’ the trainer said.
Busuttin also confirmed he has resisted the temptation to have Tagaloa race in blinkers in the Golden Slipper.
“I worked him twice in blinkers and he didn’t go as well as I hoped,’’ Busuttin said.
“So, I thought ‘if it ain’t broke, why fix it’ and he won’t be wearing blinkers on Saturday.’’
GOLDEN SLIPPER FIELD
1 Tagaloa (6) $5
2 Hanseatic (9) $6
3 Farnan (14) $6
4 Prague (7) $13
5 King’s Legacy (2) $34
6 Global Quest (15) Scratched
7 Mamaragan (1) $14
8 Away Game (3) $14
9 Dame Giselle (4) $10
10 See You Soon (8) $14
11 Mildred (17) $41
12 Personal (19) $17
13 Muntaseera (18) $61
14 Hungry Heart (5) $17
15 Cellsabeel (12) Scratched
16 Thermosphere (10) $23
Emergencies
17 Rathlin $81
18 Minhaaj $16
19 Time is Precious $71
20 Philizzy $151
LATEST BETTING: TAB FIXED ODDS
JAPANESE STAR ARRIVES
One of the international headline acts for The Championships, Danon Premium, will race in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes in April but Doncaster Mile favourite Mozu Ascot won’t get to the race due to the coronavirus effect.
Danon Premium, a $4.50 second favourite for the Queen Elizabeth, arrived in Australia on Tuesday and will spend his time at the quarantine centre at Canterbury. The Japanese star’s connections will need to self-isolate for 14 days once they enter the country.
That facility is being set up at Canterbury Park for the team being the horse as the Federal and NSW Governments helped Racing NSW get the horse into the country.
Meanwhile, the restrictions put in place by the government meant it was too hard of a task for trainer Yoshito Yahagi to get Mozu Ascot ready as well as he possibly could for the Doncaster.
He felt the horse’s couldn’t be trained properly for a tilt at the big race if he had to go through the quarantine period and the owners didn’t want to take any risks.
He’ll instead stay at home and race in the Group 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen with stablemate My Style who was an outside chance for the Doncaster at $26.
VIRUS TURNS SLIPPER DAY INTO CIRCUS FOR SHARK CREW
Te Akau Shark’s Kiwi jockey is happily stuck in Australia, the trainer has sent his dad over the ditch because he won’t leave New Zealand, and the NRL great who part-owns the horse will be forced to watch him race on TV.
Welcome to Golden Slipper week, coronavirus style.
Jockey Opie Bosson flew into Sydney less than three hours before the Federal Government’s 14-day self-isolation policy was introduced and is free to ride superstar Te Akau Shark in the Group 1 $1 million George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
But Jamie Richards, trainer of Te Akau Shark, has decided to remain in New Zealand meaning he is a scratching for the Golden Slipper meeting and The Championships at Royal Randwick.
NRL legend is a part-owner but with the fan lockout of all Sydney race meetings for the foreseeable future, he will have to watch the race on Sky Thoroughbred Central.
The travel ban began at midnight on Sunday but Bosson was able to get back into Sydney about 9.30pm.
Bosson had ridden Melody Belle into third placing in the All-Star Mile at Caulfield on Saturday then flew back to New Zealand only to learn the government’s travel ban protocols were about to start in an attempt to stem the spread of coronavirus.
“I live about an hour from the airport so we booked the flights and I drove straight to the airport — my wife packed my bag — and I was away,” Bosson said on Melbourne radio yesterday.
“The horses are here and I was more than happy to get on the first plane I could to get here.’’
Te Akau Shark, brilliant last start winner of the Chipping Norton Stakes, is the $2 favourite for the George Ryder Stakes.
There are 12 nominations for the big race with Super Seth next in betting at $4.50 then Alizee and The Bostonian at $8.
Bosson has left his family behind in New Zealand and will base himself in Sydney over the next month where he will ride the Richards stable’s outstanding trio, Te Akau Shark, Probabeel and Melody Belle in a series of Group 1 races.
Te Akau Shark will also contest the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on April 11, Probabeel is likely to start next in the $500,000 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on April 28 and Melody Belle races in the $3 million Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 4.
Richards needed to make a tough call and decided to remain in New Zealand where he has a big stable operation. He has sent his father, Paul, and stable representative Ashley Handley to Sydney to prepare Te Akau Shark, Probabeel and Melody Belle.
“I will stay in New Zealand and communicate with Dad and Ashley, and concentrate on the horses here in New Zealand,’’ Richards said. “We have a large team here and we need to make sure we are doing the right thing by the horses and the owners.
“I’ve a lot of faith in my staff and, obviously, I trust my Dad implicitly. Ashley has a very good hold on the horses and works tirelessly to get the best out of them.
“It’s important we continue to kick goals in New Zealand. We still have a couple of Group 1s here, with the favourites in both races.’’
Richards said it will be “interesting to see how the Australian and New Zealand Governments react in the next two weeks and if there is any further (coronavirus) spread.”
“I don’t think anybody can predict what will happen,’’ Richards said. “It will be an interesting couple of weeks for the world economy and our sport.”
McEVOY TO KEEP THE SHOW ON THE ROAD
Champion jockey Kerrin McEvoy said riders are self-isolating and looking to restrict their workload to ensure the Sydney autumn carnival can continue despite the increasing coronavirus threat.
McEvoy, who rides top Melbourne colt Hanseatic in the $3.5 million Golden Slipper at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, said the jockey group is very aware their availability and well-being is essential for the racing industry to avoid the shutdowns which impacting other sports.
“All the jockeys have been self-isolating as well as we can because we want to keep racing going,’’ McEvoy said.
“We are all in tricky positions, not only the jockeys but everyone involved in the industry.
“You just have to trust the expert medical advice we are being given and take all the precautions.
“It is a very worrying time for everyone but hopefully we can keep the show on the road.’’
There has even been suggestions the leading group of jockeys will not ride in any barrier trials and only compete at midweek and Saturday meetings through the autumn carnival.
McEvoy is chasing a second Golden Slipper win with Hanseatic after he rode Sepoy to success in 2011.
Godolphin’s Hanseatic, trained by Anthony Freedman, is at $6 and challenging Farnan ($5) for Golden Slipper favouritism ahead of Tuesday’s all-important barrier draw.
Hanseactic has never raced the Sydney way of going but McEvoy said the youngster impressed him winning a barrier trial at Randwick last week.
The Golden Slipper was starting to take shape on Monday with Black Opal Stakes winner Barbaric ruled out of the race while Cellsabeel followed suit on Thursday.
#Star jockey Andrew Adkins has suffered another untimely injury setback, sustaining a fracture to the right wrist in a barrier trial incident at Rosehill on Monday.
Adkins had only just returned to riding after breaking the same wrist back in late November. He is likely to be out of the saddle for up to eight weeks.
#Classique Legend, owned in Hong Kong interests, will remain here to be prepared for another tilt at the $15 million The Everest at Royal Randwick next October.
Owner Bon Ho has an Everest slot and after Classique Legend’s flight to Hong Kong was postponed on Sunday, the grey sprinter will stay in Sydney and be set for The Everest.
WHEN SILENCE IS NOT GOLDEN AS VIRUS HITS
The sound of thundering hoofs and cracking whips will echo through eerie, empty grandstands at Rosehill Gardens next Saturday.
Winning jockeys can’t celebrate, trainers won’t have owners to congratulate and there will be no crowd interaction.
Welcome to Golden Slipper Day, one of the most prestigious meetings in world racing.
Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club will on Monday confirm a fan lockout for the Golden Slipper meeting to comply with the federal government directive last week to “restrict public gatherings of over 500” due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Rosehill would usually be heaving with more than 20,000 punters on Slipper Day but no one will be allowed on course.
The $3.5 million Golden Slipper, the world’s richest juvenile race, is the highlight of an outstanding race meeting that has five Group 1 races, including the $1 million George Ryder Stakes, $700,000 The Galaxy, $700,000 Ranvet Stakes and $600,000 Rosehill Guineas.
But at least the Golden Slipper meeting will proceed as scheduled, unlike many others sports which have been postponed for extended periods.
Peter V’landys, who is confronted by the coronavirus outbreak on two fronts in his capacity as Racing NSW chief executive and also as the Australian Rugby League Commission chairman, maintains the racing industry has the capacity to continue to function despite the pandemic.
V’landys said it was easier to isolate, quarantine and replace jockeys, trainers and stable staff that may contract coronavirus rather than an entire football team.
“Racing isn’t as badly affected as rugby league, which has that team environment,’’ V’landys said.
“If a jockey gets the virus, then you can isolate that jockey. It’s the same with those who work in stables. We can put internal control measures in place for those scenarios. We need to have the best biosecurity measures for the jockeys and racing industry participants so if someone catches the virus we can deal with the situation.’’
Horses can’t contract the coronavirus so the Sydney autumn carnival and the national racing industry can continue to operate.
GAI UPBEAT ABOUT FARNAN
Trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are back in Group 1-winning mode just in time for the Golden Slipper bid of their brilliant colt Farnan on Saturday.
Waterhouse and Bott, who prepared Con Te Partiro to win the Coolmore Classic last Saturday, have Farnan primed for the big race.
“Farnan has had a great build-up, he has been a dominant colt this campaign,’’ Waterhouse said.
“He had a nice hit-out (Saturday) morning and that was his main work going into the Golden Slipper. He’s as fit as we can get him, there is not much more we can do now.’’
Bott also suggested Coolmore heroine Con Te Partiro could line up in the Doncaster Mile next as the mare has only 50kg in the race.
FUNSTAR LOOKS SET TO MISS MILE
Funstar is unlikely for the Doncaster Mile but Shared Ambition could head to the rich Randwick 1600m handicap.
This was trainer Chris Waller’s take on some of his autumn carnival plans during an impromptu media conference at Rosehill Gardens last Saturday.
Waller is particularly excited about outstanding filly Funstar’s continued development after she got the better of arch rival Probabeel for the third time in four clashes with her Phar Lap Stakes win.
“She doesn’t need to be running in a Doncaster as a three-year-old,’’ Waller said of Funstar.
“I’m pretty confident we’ll go towards the Vinery (Stud Stakes) but we’ll make that decision and let everybody know later in the week.’’
Shared Ambition, the boom import who has won four of his five Australian starts including the Listed Randwick City Stakes, is on the Doncaster trial where the gelding gets in with only 50kg.
“He will run in the Doncaster,’’ Waller said. “He will have a nice light weight and I don't think he is a fully mature horse in terms of racing against weight-for-age horses.
“If you get a very heavy track running him over 2400m under weight-for-age conditions I just don't think we'd be doing the right thing by the horse.
"The Tancred Stakes is on every year, he's got a light weight in the Doncaster and hopefully he's got enough speed to be competitive at the end of a tough mile race."
Sydney’s champion trainer also has a very good chance of winning his first Golden Slipper with Hungry Heart and Global Quest.
Promising filly Hungry Heart, winner of the Reisling Stakes, impressed with a gallop between races last Saturday.
“I don't know how you read a track gallop or an exhibition gallop, they always look good, but James McDonald is particularly happy and he has committed to ride her which I think is a good thing,’’ Waller said.
“Her breeding is something interesting for a Frankel to be running in the Golden Slipper but I'm sure she will run out a strong 1200 metres and I'm happy with how her preparation has been.
“Global Quest, he won the Breeders and was nearly favourite for the Golden Slipper.
“He has gone missing a little but I think he's looking for a little further now.
“A tough 1200m will make it more like a 1400m race which is what he's looking for.”
Waller said he hopes to have three runners in the Rosehill Guineas with the emerging Impactful lining up alongside stablemates Reloaded and Pancho, while Verry Elleegant will contest the Ranvet Stakes.