Golden Slipper: Profiteer and Stay Inside share favouritism after barrier draw

Hugh Bowman insists Profiteer should be the outright Golden Slipper favourite and the trainer of the colt’s main rival agrees.

Champion jockey Hugh Bowman is adamant Profiteer should be $3.5 million Golden Slipper favourite.

Even Richard Freedman, trainer of rival Stay Inside, agrees.

But Profiteer and Stay Inside remain inseparable at the top of betting at $4 after they drew perfect barriers for what is the most open Golden Slipper in years.

Profiteer drew barrier five and Stay Inside comes out of three while most of their main rivals drew gate 10 or wider.

Bowman, who won the Golden Slipper last year on Farnan, believes he can go back-to-back on Profiteer at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

“Profiteer’s a very fast horse which is what you want for this particular race and I think he is a deserved favourite for the Golden Slipper,’’ Bowman said.

“He proved last start in the Todman Stakes that 1200m won’t be an issue either. We think he is up to the task and the way he worked this morning, we are very excited about his prospects.’’

But trainer Richard Freedman has Stay Inside and Glistening in the big race but he is convinced Profiteer is the one to beat.

“Profiteer should definitely be the favourite, he’s a very impressive colt and he worked really well today – I understand why they are so confident,’’ Freedman said.

“But with Stay Inside, the great strength of this horse is he is so adaptable. He jumps, accelerates, relaxes, accelerates again, it is a big asset.

“He has to beat better horses than he has been beating. He met them the other day and he didn’t get much luck, couldn’t get his momentum up and when he got clear the race was over.’’

In what is shaping as a classic Sydney versus Melbourne rivalry in the Golden Slipper, Profiteer is attempting to become the first Victorian-trained two-year-old to win the big race since Crystal Lily in 2010.

Stay Inside is the pick of the locals as the Freedman family attempt to win their fifth Golden Slipper and their first since Merlene in 1996.

The final Golden Slipper field is made up of 10 colts, one gelding and five fillies.

The field was completed with the payment of the $150,000 late entry fees for Artorius and Rocket Tiger.

The big news out of the barrier draw included:

# TAB Fixed Odds took two big bets on Profiteer – $20,000 at $4.50 and $3,000 each way at $4.50, forcing the colt into $4 equal favouritism with Stay Inside.

# Four Moves Ahead, the only unbeaten runner in the field, has barrier 10 and is rated a $9 chance to become the 29th filly to win the Golden Slipper.

# Shaquero has the number one saddlecloth which has been worn by 12 Slipper winners but he has drawn barrier 15 which has produced only one Slipper winner, Star Watch in 1988.

# Artorius is on the second line of betting at $8 but his barrier, 13, is the only gate that hasn’t produced a Golden Slipper winner since the race was first run 64 years ago.

# The coveted rails barrier, which has produced more winners (nine) than any other gate, was allocated to Kalashnikov, while Anamoe has the outside barrier (16).

# Swift Witness, Gai Waterhouse’s chance for a record eighth Golden Slipper, is attempting to become the first ever winner to wear the 14 saddlecloth.

# For the first time in Slipper history, two female jockeys will ride in the big race – Rachel King (Anamoe) and Kathy O’Hara (Rocket Tiger).

Chris Waller, chasing his first Golden Slipper, had mixed luck at the draw with Shaquero to start from wide out with stablemates Home Affairs (two) and O’President (eight) getting ideal starting positions.

“It’s great to have three colts in the race that are exempt from ballot,’’ Waller said.

“All have decent claims and bright futures.’’

The weather forecast for Golden Slipper week is not favourable but the Rosehill track was rated a soft 6 with the inside rail to be moved to 3m out on Saturday.

GOLDEN SLIPPER FIELD

Number – Horse – Trainer – Jockey – Barrier – Weight

1 – SHAQUERO (Chris Waller) – Kerrin McEvoy – 15 – 56.5kg

2 – PROFITEER (Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr) – Hugh Bowman – 5 – 56.5kg

3 – ARTORIUS (Anthony and Sam Freedman) – Luke Currie – 13 – 56.5kg

4 – INGRATIATING (James Cummings) – Damien Oliver – 11 – 56.5kg

5 – ANAMOE (James Cummings) – Rachel King – 16 – 56.5kg

6 – HOME AFFAIRS (Chris Waller) – James McDonald – 2 – 56.5kg

7 – KALASHNIKOV (Peter and Paul Snowden) – Mark Zahra – 1 – 56.5kg

8 – STAY INSIDE (Richard and Michael Freedman) – Tommy Berry – 3 – 56.5kg

9 – ROCKET TIGER (Scott Spackman) – Kathy O’Hara – 14 – 56.5kg

10 – O’PRESIDENT (Chris Waller) – Glen Boss – 8 – 56.5kg

11 – CAPTIVANT (Peter and Paul Snowden) – Tom Marquand – 9 – 56.5kg

12 – GLISTENING (Richard and Michael Freedman) – Jean Van Overmeire – 7 – 54.5kg

13 – FOUR MOVES AHEAD (John Sargent) – Nash Rawiller – 10 – 54.5kg

14 – SWIFT WITNESS (Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott) – Tim Clark – 12 – 54.5kg

15 – MALLORY (Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou) – Jason Collett – 6 – 54.5kg

16 – QUEEN OF WIZARDRY (Anabel Neasham) – John Allen – 4 – 54.5kg