Ciaron Maher & David Eustace’s undefeated filly Coolangatta will be out to make history from a wide barrier 14 draw in Saturday’s Group 1 $5 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens.

Coolangatta (Photo: Steve Hart) | Horseracing.com.au

Coolangatta heads the 2022 Golden Slipper field and betting markets in Sydney for this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.

A capacity field of youngsters faces off in the world’s richest two-years-old race this weekend and markets at Ladbrokes.com.au remain narrowly led by Coolangatta at $5.

A three-time winner from as many starts, the highly-spruiked daughter of Written Tycoon races for the first time since her narrow victory as the odds-on favourite in the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast back in mid-January.

Three two-year-olds throughout history have done the double, but none without a run in between.

Connections drew gate 14 for Coolangatta in Tuesday morning’s Golden Slipper barrier draw, which produced back-to-back winners in Estijaab (2018) and Kiamichi (2019).

Coolangatta however could come into as good as barrier 11 with the way the four emergencies are drawn: Sweet Ride (9), Millane (1), Semillion (18) and Man In The Mirror (4).

The fillies have been dominant in recent years winning five of the past 10 editions of the Slipper.

The other best fancied fillies taking on the colts and geldings in this year’s edition include: Anthony Cummings’ Magic Night Stakes winner from last weekend She’s Extreme ($7); the Gary Portelli-trained Fireburn ($11); one of two Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Russian Revolution fillies in the field Russian Conquest ($13); and 11th-hour inclusion Queen Of The Ball ($17).

She’s Extreme is drawn barrier six with Brett Prebble replacing Tommy Berry in the mount, Berry instead booked to ride Russian Conquest from barrier 16, looking to do the Magic Night – Slipper double for the first time since Kiamichi (2019).

Fireburn defeated She’s Extreme in her latest run, Portelli’s in-form daughter of Rebel Raider racing for the first time since her Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) victory in late February.

Russian Conquest was brave last time out when fourth in the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) and is joined in the field by her also widely-drawn stablemate, Revolutionary Miss in gate 17 off a Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes second in Melbourne.

Queen Of The Ball meanwhile made the Golden Slipper field on Sunday when winning Canberra’s Group 3 Black Opal Stakes (1200m).

Catbird (1999) however is the only runner to win the Black Opal – Golden Slipper double to date.

Of the colts, the best fancied is Sejardan giving Portelli two shots to win the race for a second time after his 2017 success with She Will Reign.

The son of Sebring took his career record to three wins at his fourth start on March 5 winning the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) in the mud and is looking to join the likes of Farnan (2020), Vancouver (2015) and Pierro (2012) as recent winners of the double.

He is drawn well mid-field in barrier seven with the in-form Jason Collett retaining the ride.

The Reisling Stakes winning filly on the same day, Seven Veils for Mark Newnham, ran quicker time on the Heavy (10) track but is only considered a 30/1 shot in Golden Slipper betting after drawing out in barrier 19 (into 15).

Other standouts in the Golden Slipper in 2022 include Kacy Fogden’s unbeaten Snitzel colt Best Of Bordeaux coming off the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes – Silver Slipper double at the track and Blue Diamond winner Daumier in gate eight.

No. Form Horse Barrier Jockey Trainer Weight
1 131 DAUMIER 8 Mark Zahra Anthony & Sam Freedman 56.5kg
2 11×31 SEJARDAN 7 Jason Collett Gary Portelli 56.5kg
3 11 BEST OF BORDEAUX 10 Sam Clipperton Kacy Fogden 56.5kg
4 52×73 SHALATIN 5 Nash Rawiller Joseph Pride 56.5kg
5 153 JACQUINOT 11 Hugh Bowman Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) 56.5kg
6 14 SEBONACK 15 William Pike Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 56.5kg
7 1×321 RISE OF THE MASSES 20 Tim Clark Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 56.5kg
8 1x11x COOLANGATTA 14 James McDonald Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 54.5kg
9 2212 REVOLUTIONARY MISS 17 Kerrin McEvoy Peter & Paul Snowden 54.5kg
10 1124 RUSSIAN CONQUEST 16 Tommy Berry Peter & Paul Snowden 54.5kg
11 2×151 QUEEN OF THE BALL 3 Rachel King Richard & Michael Freedman 54.5kg
12 4111 FIREBURN 2 Brenton Avdulla Gary Portelli 54.5kg
13 13×543 OJAI 12 Chad Schofield James Cummings 54.5kg
14 21 SEVEN VEILS 19 Joshua Parr Mark Newnham 54.5kg
15 11×23 LADY LAGUNA 13 Linda Meech Annabel Neasham 54.5kg
16 421 SHE’S EXTREME 6 Brett Prebble Anthony Cummings 54.5kg
17e 1512 SWEET RIDE 9 Jean Van Overmeire Annabel Neasham 56.5kg
18e 1 MILLANE 11 TBC Peter G Moody 56.5kg
19e 1×25 SEMILLION 18 TBC Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 56.5kg
20e 1×52 MAN IN THE MIRROR 4 TBC Annabel Neasham 56.5kg

About The Author

Lucy Henderson

Lucy is an experienced horse racing journalist that has been a crucial member of the horseracing.com.au team for the better part of a decade. She has taken great delight in covering champion mares Black Caviar and Winx throughout their careers and always has a soft spot for a winning filly.