Thirteen Golden Slipper winners have walked out from Tulloch Lodge, and Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have a juvenile team to add another in 2023 led by Saturday’s Canonbury Stakes winner Red Resistance.
It was a case of building on his debut win for Red Resistance as he led and smashed Best Of Bordeaux’s class record by 0.3 second set 12 months ago before he went on to run second in the Slipper.
“He’s really natural, he’s big, he’s strong,” jockey Brett Prebble said. “I galloped him last week and didn’t think he could get beaten today.
Brett Prebble smiles for the camera aboard Red Resistance.Credit:Getty
“He’s taken natural progression from his first to second run and, if he takes another step again, he’s going to be very difficult to beat.
“I need one to come with him, to be honest. He’s having a look at the post, he’s floating out there on his own. I reckon he has a dig in him if he gets eyeballed, and that question will be answered very shortly I’d imagine.”
So often the punters friend, Tulloch Lodge turned foe as Red Resistance went at controlled yet solid gallop to beat $1.28 favourite King’s Gambit by 1¼ lengths, with the Chris Waller-trained Shinzo a half-length back in third in a race that will become an immediate reference point for the Golden Slipper.
Those vanquished in the Canonbury took positives out of it and are looking forward to meeting the winner again. King’s Gambit was slow away but had the leader’s back and simply couldn’t reel him in.
“There is a lot more improvement left in our horse than the margin out today,” Paul Snowden said of King’s Gambit. “He has gone really well, and he’s on track.”
Shinzo was close enough to stay in contention for the Golden Slipper with improvement to come from his first outing.
“He is shaping as a lovely horse for the Coolmore Stud Stakes, but that was very pleasing for his first start,” Waller said. “But we will just test waters with him towards the Golden Slipper.
Red Resistance, a front runner with natural speed, become the benchmark and was in to $8 for the Golden Slipper, where King’s Gambit remained the $6 favourite. He led the Waterhouse-Bott team that includes Blue Diamond Preview winner The Instructor and the Magic Millions placegetters Platinum Jubilee and Summer Loving.
“We have a good team and he is near the top of it, and that was another good step,” Bott said. “There is so much depth to him, he keeps improving. I still don’t think we’ve seen the bottom of him yet.
“He has a lot of scope to keep improving and he’s a lovely individual, very professional once again today.
“He’ll probably wait until the Todman Stakes now and just have the one run into the Slipper.”
Schofield says Widden winner is still learning to fly
Learning To Fly started her career by winning Saturday’s Widden Stakes but jockey Chad Schofield believes there was a lot more to like about the debut.
She ticked a few boxes running a class record and faster than the juvenile boys earlier in the afternoon, but it was the nature of the win from outside the leader that had Schofield excited.
“I cruised up to Gai’s filly [Perfect Proposal] on the bridle and put her away, and then she had a good look around,” Schofield said. “I have been on her all the way along and we have taught her to follow one and chase. She didn’t know what to do when we found the front so easily.
“It took the other two horses to come out on her outside for her to surge again, so she will learn a lot from that.”
Learning To Fly had looked at the mercy of Steel City and Cigar Flick at the 200m after running from the gate, but the last 200m was her best 200m as she went away to win by a half-length from Steel City with Mumbai Muse running into third another 2¼ lengths away.
“Felt like I had the winner on straightening. Got to the winner but just again didn’t put it away,” Jason Collett said of Steel City. “Maybe looking for a bit of head gear.”
The win gave Annabel Neasham a city double after African Daisy scored earlier in the afternoon, but she was delighted to have a winner for Coolmore with Learning TO Fly, which was shortened into $8 for the Golden Slipper.
“She dug in deep. We’ve always had a really good opinion of her but until you see them come and do it in the afternoons you never know quite how good they are,” Neasham said. “We think she is quite special. To do it in the Coolmore colours is very exciting and Kia Ora as well an important ownership group.”
Mariamia too sharp in the Expressway
Joe Pride has only had Mariamia for six months but has made her a group 2 winner after a late decision to run in the Expressway Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.
The daughter of Toranado was a winner a fortnight earlier but was more dynamic with that run under her belt breaking an 18-year-old class record and putting a space in favourite Golden Mile and Nicolini Vito.
“It’s not very often I late nom horses if you think you haven’t got the right race, you probably shouldn’t be there,” Pride said. “But it looked an opportunity for her and I was actually surprised how well she went today. I have a lot of time for that mare but she really pinged there.
“She gave them a real touch up [winning by 2¾ lengths] and that really surprised me.
“To be fair to Golden Mile I’m sure looking at him in the yard he will improve a heap and they wouldn’t be disappointed with him. Full credit to our mare.”
Mariamia camped just off a frantic early tempo and when Tim Clark presented her, she sprinted quickly.
“She towed me into the race. I had a lap full of horse after we straightened up and she went right on with it,” Clark said.
Golden Mile pleased James McDonald after being slow out and found the line like he was looking for a step in trip.
“He just bunny-hopped out, I was going to be in the same position but he just got it wrong at the start,” McDonald said. “He felt enormous and will improve a lot.”
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