Calliope is set to back-up in the 2016 Golden Slipper next weekend after she recorded an impressive victory in the Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill Gardens this afternoon.
Calliope missed the start in the Magic Night Stakes and jockey James McDonald settled the Exceed And Excel three pairs back on the rail before he got her off the fence coming into the straight.
She hit the front very quickly when McDonald asked her for an extra effort and she tired in the final stages, but she was able to hold-off a fast-finishing Omei Sword to take out the Magic Night Stakes and secure a place in the Golden Slipper.
Trainer John O’Shea confirmed that Calliope will run in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) next weekend and he believes that the two-year-old is more than deserving of her position in the Group 1 event after she was scratched at the barriers before the start of the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) last weekend.
“She is a talented filly,” O’Shea said.
“She was entitled to knock up a little because they really hummed and she hadn’t had a run for five weeks.
“She will be benefited from that and I think that she has earnt her place in the race.
“She has always been a talent.
“I think she just needs repetition and hopefully that has just blown out a few cobwebs and she will get her execution right going forward.”
McDonald was able to get Calliope in an excellent position after she missed the start in the Magic Night Stakes, but he admitted after the race that he may have hit the front a bit too far from home.
The talented hoop is confident that Calliope would have won the Reisling Stakes if she had not been scratched last weekend and he believes she can be competitive in the Golden Slipper.
“At least she got away this time,” McDonald said.
“She would have done that to last week’s field and it is a bit of a shame that she didn’t run, but she is going to have to back-up into a Slipper now.
“She travelled beautifully and probably hit the front far too soon and it was a really good effort to hold on.
Godolphin are set to have a very strong hand in the 2016 Magic Night Stakes and the likes of Astern, Souchez, Telperion could all join Calliope in the Group 1 event.