Chris Waller isn’t concerned about Wodeton’s outside barrier in the Silver Slipper and remains confident ahead of Saturday’s 1100m race at Rosehill.
The Golden Slipper 2025 favourite drew gate 11, just outside major rival North England, but Waller is unruffled by the draw.
“There’s a lot of speed in the race,” Waller said. “He’s a sensible horse and has enough speed to get himself out of trouble if needed.”
Wodeton made an explosive debut last month, overcoming an awkward draw to win, and immediately became a leading contender for the Golden Slipper (1200m).
Following his debut, Wodeton spent a week at Coolmore before Waller kept him fresh with a quiet yet impressive barrier trial.
“He’s always shown us talent from day one,” Waller said. “We thought he’d be hard to beat first-up, but we didn’t expect the win to be that impressive.”
Saturday’s Silver Slipper (1100m) is a crucial race with four of the top seven horses in the Golden Slipper betting set to clash, including Wodeton, North England, Bel Merci, and West Of Swindon—all priced at $17 or less for next month’s $5 million feature.
Waller is excited about the upcoming Sydney racing scene as the autumn majors approach.
“There’s some big racing coming up, and the next few weeks will be fireworks,” he said.
Despite the tough draw, Wodeton remains the $2.15 favourite with betting sites, ahead of Bel Merci ($4), North England ($5.50), and West Of Swindon ($6).