Runner-less Waterhouse says get forward to win Golden Slipper
THIS year’s Golden Slipper is one of the most open in the race’s history, but one glaring omission from the field is a Gai Waterhouse runner.
The legendary trainer will not have a galloper in the world’s richest two-year-old race for the first time since 1998, when Chris Munce rode Prowl to a famous victory for Clarry Conners.
Since then Waterhouse has bagged six Golden Slippers — to put it bluntly she knows a thing or two about winning the 1200m $3.5 million sprint.
Waterhouse is always happy to give her opinion on anything racing and no doubt there are plenty of young trainers hanging on her advice for the Golden Slipper.
“I’d want to see them in a forward position,” Waterhouse said.
“I’ve won six Slippers and it’s better if you’re in a forward position because there’s less chance of soil coming back in your eye or a horse bumping into you.”
Waterhouse’s last winner in the Golden Slipper was short-priced favourite Vancouver, which overcome a horror barrier to claim the prize in the shadows of the post back in 2015.
That win remarkably equalled her famous father’s record of six wins in the Golden Slipper and added another chapter to the Waterhouse story.
As for the 2017 edition, Waterhouse believes Frolic ($13 at Sportsbet.com.au) is the horse to beat going into Saturday.
“I quite like the filly trained by Michael Freedman, I think she’s a very talented filly and I liked the way she won the other day down the outside,” she said.
The Rosehill track is rated a heavy 9 on Wednesday morning after receiving 39.5mm of rain over the last week, which bodes well for Frolic, who got through the ground well to win in the Reisling Stakes.
2017 Golden Slipper market
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