Trainer Shaun Dwyer is on a Golden Slipper mission after his filly Villa Verde scored an impressive win in the Listed $120,000 7News Plate (1000m) at Flemington today.

Villa Verde

Villa Verde will be on a Golden Slipper mission after an impressive win in the 7News Plate. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Villa Verde remained unbeaten when she went to the line untroubled to score her second win from as many starts and will now head to the paddock before being prepared for the Group 1 $3.5m AAMI Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill next Autumn.

“We might have the right horse to at least run in the Slipper,” Dwyer said.

Dwyer was confident going into today’s race after winning first up at Caulfield on October 17 and the filly was never going to get beaten with Michael Rodd nursing the filly in the early stages before letting her stride to the front at the 300m.

The Bendigo based trainer said that Villa Verde is loaded with enormous natural ability and likened her to an elite sportsman the calibre of former world number one tennis player Roger Federer.

“She just does everything right. She’s just like one of those talented sportsman, Federer. She’s just so cool and so composed in herself, makes it easy to train,” Dwyer said.

“She’ll go to the paddock definitely. And as I said to the boys not many win the Blue Diamond. There’s two holy grails, the Melbourne Cup and the Golden Slipper.”

Rodd has an easy ride to start Melbourne Cup day and once he eased Villa Verde ($3.50 fav) out at the 300m only had to guide her to the finish line to score by two and three quarter lengths from Purrific ($11) with another one and three quarter lengths to third placegetter Thump ($11).

“Shaun Dwyer has done a magnificent job with her,” Rodd said.

“He targeted these two races. They were always going to be the two races he wanted to run her in and put her in the paddock. He though she would just turn up today and do what she did just then.”

“Those 1000m races, it’s normally the best two year old that wins, She’s in a different grade to these two year olds.”

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.