Artorius shines in crucial Slipper hitout
Blue Diamond Stakes winner Artorius will be paid up for the Golden Slipper on Monday following a sizzling barrier trial performance at Randwick.
Having his first serious test in the Sydney direction, the youngster was eased back to last by Luke Currie as eventual heat winner Harley Street skipped away to a commanding lead.
Currie revved him up around the corner and Artorius lengthened impressively, motoring down the outside and making up many lengths to finish a narrow second.
Brad Taylor, racing manager for trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman, said while the colt still did a few things wrong it was a heartening effort.
“As you saw in the Blue Diamond, he takes a bit of riding to get going,” Taylor said.
“He is a laidback, relaxed horse and only does what he has to but when he’s revved up, he’s pretty good, and that last 200 metres today was very good.
“He still does a bit wrong. He wanted to get on the wrong leg a little bit but he was on the right leg late in the trial.
“He will take plenty of benefit from that and he will have a nice hitout probably on Tuesday or Wednesday next week leading into the race and that will have him spot-on.”
Artorius has not started since his Blue Diamond Stakes success last month but the form from the race was franked on Saturday when Anamoe, who finished third in the Victorian Group One, defeated Slipper favourite Profiteer to win the Todman Stakes at Randwick.
While Artorius was not among the original nominations for Saturday week’s juvenile feature, Taylor confirmed his owners will pay the $150,000 late entry fee to run.
“One hundred per cent it will be paid on Monday. There will be no hesitation in paying that,” he said.
Artorius is on the third line of Slipper betting at +600 and will be striving to become the first horse since Sepoy 10 years ago to claim the Blue Diamond Stakes-Golden Slipper double.