Slipper champ Vancouver fails in San Domenico sprint but remains one to beat in Golden Rose

IT would be foolish to write off Vancouver despite his unplaced comeback in the San Domenico Stakes writes Ray Thomas.

Photographer: Simon Bullard. Race 7 TOOHEYS NEW GOLDEN SLIPPER (2YO SET WEIGHTS) - 1200m. Winner 'Vancouver' ridden by Tommy Berry. trained by Gai Waterhouse.

VANCOUVER may have won the Golden Slipper but he is not a sprinter.

This was proved in his unplaced comeback effort in the San Domenico Stakes over 1100m last Saturday — but it is foolish the write the colt off after one defeat.

Japonisme was a deserved winner, recording race record time as Vancouver ran a solid, if unspectacular fourth.

As a two-year-old, Vancouver relied on brute strength to win his four starts but always gave the impression he would be even better as a three-year-old, and particularly when he got up to 1600m, perhaps further.

Vancouver’s is still the horse to beat in the Group 1 Golden Rose next month as he will appreciate getting out to 1400m but I feel the Caulfield Guineas over 1600m is his ideal race, and perhaps even the Cox Plate at 2040m.

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JAPONISME continues to fly under the radar but this is a three-year-old of real quality.

Unlike Vancouver, Japonisme seems more a sprinter — at least this is the suspicion of trainer Chris Waller.

Japonisme (pink) beats King's Troop across the line in the Group Three San Domenico Stakes.

Whether Japonisme goes to the Golden Rose is still to be determined but he does appear suited to the Coolmore Stud Stakes up the Flemington straight 1200m, a race Waller has won the last two years with Zoustar (2013) and Brazen Beau (2014).

The San Domenico runner-up King’s Troop has done a super job at his debut preparation and owner John Messara confirmed the colt will now spell before trainer Gerald Ryan prepares him for an autumn sprint campaign.

Following the San Domenico Stakes result, Vancouver was an easing favourite for next month’s Golden Rose.

But then it was revealed Pride Of Dubai was out for the spring and TAB Fixed Odds again had to reshape Golden Rose betting with Vancouver back into $2.80 favouritism ahead of Japonisme at $6.50 with King’s Troop at $9 even though the latter is an unlikely runner.

Tommy Berry on Vancouver before the Golden Slipper. Pic: Mark Evans

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GODOLPHIN’S John O’Shea has a knack of getting his imported gallopers to sprint well at their Australian debuts.

He did it last season with former European gallopers Contributer, It’s Somewhat and Magic Hurricane all winning on debut in this country while Hartnell was second at his first start here behind Contributer then won his next two races.

O’Shea unleashed another northern hemisphere stayer, Havana Cooler at Rosehill on Saturday and although he didn’t win, it was run the day.

Havana Cooler ran sixth behind Beyond Thankful in the 1800m race, coming from near last on the turn, striking trouble at the 200m but still surging to the line to be beaten a half length.

O’Shea told me Havana Cooler is likely to go to the Wyong Cup next with the Group 1 The Metropolitan an obvious target during the spring.

In Beyond Thankful’s race, five of the first six over the line were bred in Europe while Foreign Prince, the fourth placegetter, was born in New Zealand.

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RIVER WILD — remember the name because this colt looks an exciting prospect.

He is bred to be good by Fastnet Rock out of Romantic River, making the three-year-old a three-quarter brother to former top mare Aqua D’Amore, and he made his debut at Kembla Grange last Saturday, romping home by six lengths.

It was only a maiden race and his opposition were moderate but River Wild was very, very impressive. He won’t be racing at the provincials for long.

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MOURINHO and The Cleaner are admirable gallopers, tough and resolute, but what does it say about our weight-for-age ranks when these two eight-year-old veterans fought out the finish of the Group 2 Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield?

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BRENTON Avdulla gave Italian Derby winner Goldstream every chance but he was safely held when fourth in the Secretariat Stakes at Arlington in Chicago yesterday.

But Australian racing still had a connection with the winner, Highland Reel, a well-bred colt by Galileo out of Hveger, who herself is a sister to 2004 Caulfield Cup winner Elvstroem and a half-sister to 2007 Doncaster Mile winner Haradasun.

Highland Reel is prepared by Irish training genius Aidan O’Brien and is a big firmer for the Cox Plate after his Chicago win. O’Brien followed a similar path last year with Adelaide, who completed the Secretariat Stakes-Cox Plate double.

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Trainer Chris Waller during Warwick Farm midweek races.

CHRIS Waller unleashes more of his spring carnival arsenal in a Rosehill barrier trials session this morning.

They including multiple Group 1 winner Boban, Grand Marshsal (Sydney Cup), Opinion (The Metropolitan) and Melbourne Cup placegetter Who Shot The Barman clash in a 1030m heat then later in the morning, their stablemates Catkins, Strawberry Boy, Ballet Suite and Flamingo Star compete in a 900m trial that also includes the Team Hawkes-trained Nostradamus and Hawkesbury Gold Cup winner Sons Of John.