Early favourite Tassort will miss a vital Golden Slipper lead up run after being ruled out of Saturday’s Group 2 $300,000 UNSW Todman Stakes (1200m) at Randwick because of injury.
Godolphin’s Australian trainer James Cummings revealed that Tassort has suffered a minor setback which will see him stay home this weekend and is now only a 50/50 chance of taking his place in the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 23.
“It just makes it difficult for me to prepare him properly for the Todman Stakes this weekend so what I’ve decided to do is to take the throttle off the colt over the next few days,” Cummings told RSN927’s Racing Pulse.
“That will mean he’ll miss some work and I’ll aim him for the Pago Pago.
“The obvious question would be, where does that fit him in the Slipper? I’d have to say he’s a 50/50 chance for the Golden Slipper.
“He’s just got some bruising. Time is going to be his best friend. We just have to be patient and time will tell.
“He wouldn’t go straight to the Golden Slipper. All I can think about now is the Pago Pago at this stage for the horse and we make a decision after that.”
Tassort remains a drifting $6 favourite for the Golden Slipper at Ladbrokes.com.au after heading the markets since his debut win in the $150,000 Golden Gift (1100m) at Rosehill on November 24.
Tassort kicked off his Golden Slipper campaign with a first up second to Time To Reign in the Group 2 $250,000 Chandon S Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on February 23 and was due to have his second up run in the Todman Stakes.
The Godolphin blue army dominate the betting for the Golden Slipper with the Cummings trained Magic Millions winner Exhilarates and last Saturday’s Skyline Stakes winner Microphone sharing the second line of betting at $7.
Early Betting for the 2019 Golden Slipper at Ladbrokes.com.au: $6 Tassort, $7 Exhilarates, Microphone, $8 Time To Reign, $11 Lyre, $13 Loving Gaby, Yes Yes Yes, $17 Dubious, $21 Anaheed, Born A Warrior, Tenley, $26 Athiri, Hightail, Strasbourg, Castelvecchio, $31 Cosmic Force, Lankan Star, Vincere Volare, $34 Brooklyn Hustle, Faretti, Heart Breaker, McLaren, Probabeel, Rotator, Spring Loaded, $41 or better the rest.