The first emergency for Saturday’s Golden Slipper 2018 field has gained a start after the early scratching of the Lindsay Park-trained Enbihaar from the Rosehill classic.
The fellow Lindsay Park-trained filly Qafila (pictured) comes in for the scratched Enbihaar in Saturday’s 2018 Golden Slipper Stakes field. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Drawn barrier 15 and not having raced since the second to Written By in the Group 1 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) in Melbourne on February 24, Magnus filly Enbihaar is the first casualty from the world’s richest race for two-year-olds.
Jockey Stephen Baster is without a Golden Slipper mount after the David Hayes-led Lindsay Park stable advised Racing NSW stewards on Friday that Enbihaar would be scratched on veterinary advice.
She had tied-up and a subsequent blood test revealed Enbihaar had elevated muscle enzymes leading to her official withdrawal.
Hall of Famer Hayes prepared the 2006 Golden Slipper winning filly Miss Finland and the emergency coming into the capacity 16-horse field for Enbihaar is her stablemate Qafila.
Drawn gate 10, the daughter of Not A Single Doubt has firmed in from a triple-figure quote of $101 to $61 in the latest Golden Slipper odds at Ladbrokes.com.au.
The call-up of Qafila gives champion jockey Craig Williams a shot at riding another winner for Hayes having partnered the aforementioned Miss Finland to victory.
A winner on debut at Caulfield last October, Qafila has had three unplaced runs since including a close fourth when under a length off the winner at Canberra on March 11 in the Group 3 Black Opal Stakes (1200m).
No Golden Slipper winner has come off a Black Opal Stakes lead-up since Catbird did the double back in 1999.
Hayes is also represented in the Golden Slipper Stakes field on Saturday by Long Leaf who will jump from barrier 15 of 16 with Blake Shinn in the saddle.
Shinn is after a second Slipper success in three years after guiding Team Snowden’s Magic Millions Classic winner Capitalist to victory in 2016.
Fastnet Rock colt Long Leaf is also backing-up in the Slipper directly off a Blue Diamond Stakes run behind Written By having finished a disappointing 12th.
He won his three opening career starts prior to that, all in Melbourne, and gets the blinkers on for his Sydney debut this Saturday that he is at roughie’s quote of $71 in Golden Slipper betting to win.
Head to Ladbrokes.com.au now for the latest Golden Slipper 2018 betting odds and offers.
