Magic Night favourite a doubtful starter
Talented filly Mallory will almost certainly go straight into the Golden Slipper without another run, ruling her out of the Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.
Co-trainer Gerald Ryan said they accepted with the filly as a precaution but were not keen to race her seven days before her grand final.
“She probably won’t run. We left her in there to see how far we were down the (Slipper) list and we look like getting a run,” Ryan said.
“I don’t want to back her up.”
A +2000 Golden Slipper chance, Mallory is a pre-post favourite for the Magic Night Stakes (1200m), which will be the final chance for the fillies to qualify for a Slipper start.
Her withdrawal will force a market reshuffle with Godolphin’s Arcaded likely to assume top billing in Mallory’s absence.
Godolphin already has the favourite for the colts and gelding’s division as Blue Diamond Stakes placegetter Ingratiating heads betting on the Pago Pago Stakes, also run over the Slipper distance.
Ryan and training partner Sterling Alexiou are leaning towards running Albumin in Saturday’s Maurice McCarten Stakes (1100m), although he is also an acceptor for the Bert Lillye Memorial at Kembla Grange a day earlier.
The sprinter does not enjoy wet tracks so Ryan and Alexiou will be keeping a close watch on the weather before makig a final call.