Ottoman vaults to top of Golden Slipper markets after memorable debut performance

TAB BIG BETS: SHE lived up to her huge reputation and then some, producing a debut performance that was so impressive she vaulted straight to the top of Golden Slipper betting.

Sydney Racing

SHE lived up to her huge reputation and then some, producing a stunning debut performance that was so impressive she vaulted straight to the top of Golden Slipper betting.

Ottoman turned a low-key Sydney Saturday race into the most talked about two-year-old contest of the season when she came from near last early to win the TAB Place Multi Plate (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens.

Trainer John O’Shea wasn’t trackside for Ottoman’s long-awaited racetrack debut but he won’t tire of watching endless replays of her extraordinary effort.

It was left to Godolphin’s stable representative, Hall of Fame jockey Darren Beadman, to best describe Ottoman’s win: “It was simply scintillating’’.

TAB’s Glenn Munsie said Ottoman’s effort was so good she deserves to be the new favourite at $6 for the $3.5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 21, displacing stablemate Furnaces ($8),

“They just don’t do what this filly did at their first starts,’’ Munsie said.

Punters who took the prohibitive $1.30 odds would have been worried when the Ottoman missed the start. Picture: Mark Evans

“With most of the top two-year-olds they jump and run, then dash away — like Furnaces when he won his only start by nearly seven lengths — they make their own luck but Ottoman had no luck.

“She was faced with difficulties from the start when she looked like she got a check and was out the back but she was still able to mow them down. It was super run.’’

Ottoman’s reputation preceded her and she opened on-course at $1.30 favouritism but punters who took those prohibitive odds would have been worried when the filly missed the start.

Sydney’s premier jockey James McDonald didn’t bustle the filly to make up lost ground early, instead waiting until the home turn where he took her to the extreme outside and she finished powerfully to overhaul Miss Idyllic ($13) to win by a head with Pride Of Dubai ($6) also running an eye-catching race on debut.

“I got ‘sandwiched’ at the start,’’ McDonalds said.

“She got her head up early so I let her find her feet. It was a brilliant win.’’

O’Shea has had a sensational start to the juvenile season with the Godolphin juvenile juggernaut rolling out winners with Furnaces, Sampeah, Calaverite, Antelucan and Bantam but Ottoman trumped them all with her stunning debut.

James McDonald after winning the opening race on Ottoman. Picture: Mark Evans

Ottoman is superbly bred by champion stallion Exceed And Excel out of Byzantine, herself a half-sister to Caulfield Cup winner Mummify, and her win simply oozed class.

“I was sweating early in the race, particularly the first furlong and a half (a300m),’’ Beadman said.

“But James didn’t panic when he was back at the rear of the field, he just tried to get the filly into her rhythm.

“He let her do the work and get into her gears. They didn’t go overly hard up front so she really had to dig deep today.’’

Beadman said Ottoman had always shown plenty of potential on the training track but he is too experienced to immediately rate the filly as the best of Godolphin’s two-year-old team.

“Let’s just say she is in our top 10,’’ Beadman said his face breaking into a wide smile.

Ottoman reels them in to salute. Picture: Mark Evans

“She has the right qualities but trackwork and barrier trials are so different to raceday pressure.

“She had to do it on the day, she had to perform in a race, and it was pleasing to see her do that.’’

Beadman said although Ottoman’s win didn’t exactly go to plan, her come-from-behind effort will stand her in good stead for the Golden Slipper next autumn.

“We expected the filly to race on the speed, that is her natural make-up,’’ he said.

“But it adds another string to her bow when she had to be ridden like that. It shows how classy she is that she was able to get away with a win.’’

Craftiness wins for the Joe Pride stable. Picture: Mark Evans

ROSEHILL

RACE ONE

Ottoman was heavily backed and gave punters the perfect start to the day. Opening at $2 it was crunched into $1.40 and landed some good bets and in the process, firmed from $15 into outright $6 favourite for the Golden Slipper. One TAB customer smashed Pride Of Dubai when the market was first released in the week, plonking $6500 @ $8 while another put down $3000 @ $6.

BIG BET: $5000 @ $1.50 on Ottoman

RACE TWO

Punters left it in the bag in race two with Kaepernick a heavily backed favourite ($2.50 into $1.90). Testashadow did have backing to beat the fav and was the second most popular runner in terms of money invested, while Harrier Jet and Tree Of Jesse were specked ($10 into $8 then back out to $13).

BIG BET: $6000 @ $1.95 and $5000 @ $2 on Kaepernick

RACE THREE

Red Excitement was backed from $6 into $4.20 late in betting and landed the money for its supporters. You’ll Never had backing again but couldn’t get past the first two horses, while Pythagorean also had its admirers.

RACE FOUR

Stolen Kiss almost stole the race for its supporters ($18 to $11), however, it was run down right on the line by Kristy Lee ($6 into $5 back to $6). Vanilla Princess let down most backers as it was one of the best stupported runners all day at Rosehill — $4.60 to $3.80.

RACE FIVE

There was very big money for Its A Silver Trail having its debut in Australia ($8 to $4.60), however, it had very little luck over the concluding stages. It was left to Phrases at mammoth odds ($51 to $71) to start the quaddie off on a rough note. Off The Rails held the most money of any other runner in the race.

RACE SIX

Champagne Cath was backed from when the market first opened on Wednesday to jump time ($7 to $3.80), and after leading held off all challengers bar one — Haussmann ($21 to $17).

RACE SEVEN

Punters landed a significant blow here when Craftiness got the money. Was $2.60 earlier in the morning and then into $2.30 with the scratching of Religify. From there, a flood of money came for the Joe Pride-trained runner and it started at $2.

BIG BETS: $7500 @ $2, $6750 @ @2.10, $4500 @ $2.10 on Craftiness

RACE EIGHT

Vashka was on the drift throughout betting ($2.50 out to $3.20) but led throughout to score its fourth win in a row in sensational style. The money was for Centre Pivot to beat it ($4.60 to $3.80). Frespanol ($8 to $5 out to $7) and The Alfonso ($11 to $7) also had their share of supporters.

Blake Shinn combines with Vashka to win for Godolphin. Picture: Mark Evans