With the Golden Slipper just five weeks away, the competition for the southern hemisphere’s richest two-year-old race is heating up. Several young runners will look to make their mark at Randwick, with three of the 11 entrants in the Pierro Plate (1100m) already priced at $26 or shorter for the Slipper.
Pallaton, the $2.30 race favourite for Saturday’s contest, is currently at $11 for the Golden Slipper. Coolmore’s United States follows at $15, while the James Cummings-trained Comedy is priced at $26. Comedy, a winner on debut at Randwick in October, will race with blinkers for the first time this weekend.
“We’ve made some gear changes and he’s trained well for this race,” Cummings said. “Any horse with Slipper aspirations needs to perform here, and he’s training like one who can mix it with the best.”
Michael Freedman also has high hopes for Pallaton, who impressed with a dominant debut victory over Comedy’s stablemate, Chergui, by nearly three lengths. By Wootton Bassett, the same sire as Slipper favourite Wodeton, Pallaton will start from barrier two.
“He had a break after his win to freshen up mentally,” Freedman said. “He’s a professional two-year-old, and if he can continue progressing, we’ll aim for the Slipper.”
Chris Waller’s United States, a Snitzel colt, also has Slipper aspirations. After a strong finish to place just behind Open Secret at Randwick last month, he’s expected to appreciate the extra 100m on Saturday.