Golden Slipper fancy Bel Merci to headline Royal Randwick trials on Tuesday
Unbeaten filly Bel Merci begins her quest for the $5 million Golden Slipper in a trial on home turf at Royal Randwick on Tuesday.
Trainer John Thompson has mapped out his Golden Slipper assault for leading contender Bel Merci as she prepares to tune up for the Autumn Carnival at Tuesday’s barrier trials at Royal Randwick.
Unbeaten filly Bel Merci burst onto the scene with an eye-catching debut victory in the Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) at Royal Randwick in the first week of October.
Thompson put the filly away straight after the race with a plan to target his maiden Golden Slipper in 2025 with Bel Merci currently the $13 equal second favourite for the two-year-old crown jewel.
Bel Merci will make her first public appearance since the spring when she lines up in a 740m heat with regular rider Chad Schofield aboard.
“She has been back about eight weeks and is going good,” Thompson said.
“I think she is probably ready a little early but that’s OK, it gives me a week or so up the sleeve.
“Her second trial will be at Rosehill.
“She will run in the Silver Slipper first because I want to give her a run at Rosehill.”
The Group 2 Silver Slipper (1100m) is at Rosehill Gardens on February 22 with Bel Merci also set to line up two weeks later in the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick.
The Group 1 $5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) comes two weeks after the Reisling on March 22.
Thompson will have two trials in the same heat on Monday with unraced King’s Legacy filly Open Secret.
“She is a really nice filly but we don’t really know much more than that,” Thompson said.
Group 1 Flight Stakes winner Lady Shenandoah and last year’s ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes victor Manaal will feature in the same 740m heat.
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The star fillies look set to be on a collision course in the early autumn with the Group 1 $750,000 Surround Stakes (1400m) on March 1 at Royal Randwick on the radar.
Golden Rose placegetter Mayfair will contest the same heat as the fillies as the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained galloper gears up for a likely Group 1 assault during the carnival.
Unbeaten filly Clean Energy, the sister to former star sprinter Sunlight, lines up in a 740m heat which also features last year’s Kindergarten Stakes hero Espionage.
Group 2 Missile Stakes winner Schwarz will have his second trial this preparation in a 1050m event.
Warwick Farm hosts trials on Thursday this week.
Originally published as Golden Slipper fancy Bel Merci to headline Royal Randwick trials on Tuesday
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