Waterhouse has three chances to match her father in Golden Slipper record book

Waterhouse has three chances to match her father in Golden

Slipper record book

If anyone knows how to train a winner of the Golden Slipper (Aus-G1), it's

Gai Waterhouse. The Hall of Famer has done it five times already, after all, and

in Saturday's edition of the world's richest juvenile race she has three live

chances to tie her late father T.J. Smith's record six wins.

That trio is headed by the unbeaten "TDN Rising Star" Vancouver (Medaglia

d'Oro), who comes in off a dominating score in the Todman S. (Aus-G2) two weeks

ago. Vancouver, the race favorite, was dealt a blow at Tuesday's barrier draw

when landing in gate 18 of 19 -- he will actually exit from gate 15 should the

three also-eligibles fail to draw in -- but Waterhouse remains confident in her

charge's chances.

"He'll win, and the most important thing is he'll be better odds," Waterhouse

told Racenet.com.au. "I never worry about barriers because you can't do anything

about them."

Vancouver gets the services of jockey Tommy Berry, who won his first Golden

Slipper aboard the Waterhouse-trained Overreach two years ago.

To back up her chances, Waterhouse will also saddle the fillies English

(Encosta de Lago) -- winner of the Reisling S. (Aus-G2), the fillies' equivalent

of the Todman, two weeks ago-- and Speak Fondly (Northern Meteor), who backs up

seven days after stamping herself a Slipper contender with a win in the Magic

Night S. (Aus-G2) over this Rosehill track and 1200-meter trip.

Much has been made about the strength of the Godolphin juvenile contingent

this season, and trainer John O'Shea sends four postward in search of his first

Slipper score. Exosphere (Lonhro) leads that group in the betting off an

eye-catching score in the 1200-meter Skyline S. (Aus-G2) at Warwick Farm

February 28, but also intriguing is the unbeaten Haptic (Exceed and Excel), who

won the Lonhro Plate going away on Valentine's Day.

"TDN Rising Star" Ottoman (Exceed and Excel) disappointed when fourth in the

Silver Slipper S. (Aus-G2) won by Headwater (Exceed and Excel) February 21, but

ran a much more credible second in the Reisling on the same card that Headwater

disappointed when third behind Vancouver in the Todman.

O'Shea's teamed fared overall better than the  Waterhouse team at the

draw.

"I think the market has got it right in regards to Exosphere," O'Shea told

Racenet. "He would be my top pick going into the race. He's untapped. I didn't

want to draw soft and he'll come into eight if the emergencies don't get a run

-- that's ideal."

Just four winners of the Golden Slipper since 1983 have contested their final

prep race outside New South Wales, but nonetheless Melbourne shipper Ready for

Victory (More Than Ready) stakes strong claims for Eliza Park International. The

bay will make just his second start in the Slipper, his first coming when he

charged down the Flemington straight to win well two weeks ago. Reemah

(Redoute's Choice) is based at Randwick with David Hayes and Tom Dabernig but

has done all her running in Victoria, most recently finishing second in the Blue

Diamond S. (Aus-G1) February 28.

The Ranvet S., the first of five Group 1s on Rosehill's Golden Slipper card,

has drawn a short but intriguing lineup of middle-distance stars. Godolphin's

Contributer (High Chaparral) is a clear-cut favorite off back-to-back scores

this season in the Apollo S. (Aus-G2) over 1400 meters February 14 and the

one-mile Chipping Norton S. (Aus-G1) two weeks later.

Behind him in both those efforts -- in sixth and third, respectively -- was

the Chris Waller- trained He's Your Man (Cape Cross), and while it isn't easy to

see that six-year-old gelding reversing form, Waller should never be ignored in

these important contests.

Also looking at the heels of Contributer in the Apollo and Chipping Norton

was defending Ranvet winner Silent Achiever (O'Reilly). Her strong fourth in the

Chipping Norton was an improvement on her fifth in the Apollo, and trainer Roger

James expressed confidence in his mare.

"I know her very well and know what she's capable of," he told the NZ Racing

Desk. "You can only ready your own horse for a big race and we quietly went

about doing that last year and we've done that again. We're there to win it and

if things went right, she's capable of doing that."

Another classy New Zealand-bred distaffer set to line up is Lucia Valentina (Savabeel).

The four-year-old put in a big run in the Apollo but failed to show up in the

Chipping Norton.

Elsewhere on the card, the competitiveness of the Galaxy H. (Aus-G1) is

highlighted by the fact that just one favorite has won in the last 17 years, and

there are certainly some interesting propositions in this year's lineup.

Stonestreet's A$900,000 acquisition Miracles of Life (Not a Single Doubt)

began to pay back some of that sum, shelled out at last year's Magic Millions

National Broodmare Sale, with a sharp victory in the 1000-meter Challenge S.

(Aus-G2) March 7. She seeks her second top-level victory, having won the

prestigious Blue Diamond S. (Aus-G1) as a juvenile two years ago.

Co-trainer Peter Snowden described his charge as "a different horse this

preparation."

"Looking back I probably did a bit too much work with her in the spring,"

Snowden told Racenet. "This time I've kept that mindset not to do too much with

her and she's thriving -- carrying condition, eating her head off and bucking

her brand off. She's in perfect order heading into Saturday."

An unlucky third behind the chestnut filly in the Challenge was "TDN Rising

Star" Rubick (Encosta de Lago), who seeks his first win at the highest level.

Trainer Gerald Ryan noted he has been working with the three-year-old to harness

his raw speed.

"It was disappointing that he found trouble, but on the positive, he showed

he can be ridden with a sit and quicken off a fast pace," Ryan told Racenet.

Waterhouse's ever-consistent four-year-old mare Sweet Idea (Snitzel) will

have to overcome a wide draw to improve off a second in the Myer Classic

(Aus-G1) November 1, and Royal Ascot contender Deep Field (Northern Meteor)

looks to build on a second in the McCarten S. (Aus-G3) last weekend.

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