She may have had a disrupted preparation but impressive Rosehill winner last time out Cellsabeel is odds-on favourite in 2020 Silver Slipper Stakes betting to get things back on track in Sydney this weekend.
Golden Slipper favourite jumps odds-on in the 2020 Silver Slipper Stakes this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.
Just eight two-year-olds face off in the Group 2 $250,000 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) on Hobartville Stakes Day this Saturday including the promising Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Cellsabeel.
The well-bred daughter of Hinchinbrook debuted with a $1 million Golden Gift (1100m) fourth to Dame Giselle last November before blitzing her first-up run on January 18.
Returning to the same track and distance she thrived on a Heavy (8) track to win a two-years-old handicap by six lengths.
Originally Cellsabeel was set to back-up in the Inglis Millennium, but when the race was washed out and rescheduled connections opted to give her a race day hit out instead and keep her fresh for the Silver Slipper Stakes.
The filly is currently co-favourite with Hanseatic in pre-field markets on the Group 1 $3.5 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) on March 21.
Hanseatic runs in the Group 1 $1.5 million Neds Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield in Melbourne this weekend, while Cellsabeel has an easier run in the Silver Slipper Stakes.
In 2017 She Will Reign completed the Silver Slipper – Golden Slipper double that Cellsabeel is out to emulate.
She is odds-on to take out the opening leg on Saturday sitting at a short $1.60 Silver Slipper odds at Ladbrokes.com.au.
Tommy Berry retains the ride on the punters’ pick who jumps from gate two.
Two rivals occupy the second line of betting at an equal $7.50 to score the upset with early market mover Blaze A Trail for Peter & Paul Snowden and the Chris Waller-trained Global Quest.
Criterion colt Blaze A Trail has his second career start in the Silver Slipper following the Golden Gift third last November.
He has had two subsequent trials this summer, the latest a 740m winning hit out at Warwick Farm on the Synthetic ahead of his charge towards the Golden Slipper 2020.
“If you are going to be a grand final contender you want to be running well all the time, so we have him fairly wound up,” two-time Golden Slipper-winning trainer Peter Snowden told The Daily Telegraph.
“He is not screwed down completely, but he has done a good amount of work. We have ridden him forward and back in his trials so he should take that to the races and give himself a chance to run well.
“He has always been a big, strong horse.
“There is a lot of him, but he is a bit savvier this time.
“He won’t be going as hard as he once did. He will race handy but that is what he did too much his first start. He did too much, too early in the race. He is a more relaxed horse now.”
Global Quest is a well-bred More Than Ready colt who already has a Group win on the record having taken out Randwick’s Group 3 Breeders Plate (1000m) on debut last spring.
He kicked things off on February 1 in the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) and finish second to Prague, a run he will be out to improve on second-up having his first run at Rosehill with James McDonald in the saddle.
Click here for the latest Silver Slipper Stakes 2020 odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2020 Silver Slipper Stakes Field & Barriers
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 110 | FARNAN | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Hugh Bowman | 3 | 56.5kg |
| 2 | 1×2 | GLOBAL QUEST | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 6 | 56.5kg |
| 3 | 3x | BLAZE A TRAIL | Peter & Paul Snowden | Kerrin McEvoy | 8 | 56.5kg |
| 4 | – | NORTH PACIFIC | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Brenton Avdulla | 5 | 56.5kg |
| 5 | 1×229 | EVERY ROSE | Mark Newnham | Ms Rachel King | 7 | 54.5kg |
| 6 | 4×1 | CELLSABEEL | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Tommy Berry | 2 | 54.5kg |
| 7 | 15×5 | SUNBORN | Edward Cummings | Andrew Adkins | 1 | 54.5kg |
| 8 | 44 | FAYERRA | Anthony Cummings | Jason Collett | 4 | 54.5kg |
