The Golden Slipper

[Donny]

Hero has final Slipper hit-out

By Eden Harrington - Fox

STAR jockey Chris Munce declared Dance Hero primed for the $3million Golden Slipper after an effortless barrier trial win at Randwick yesterday morning.

Munce needed less than 44 seconds to be convinced a second Golden Slipper is well within his grasp as Dance Hero coasted to a 1 1/4-length win over 740m with his ears pricked.

"Dance Hero can't be any better, he had a nice trial today, he's fit and well and I couldn't fault him," the jockey said.

"He is going to go into the race with no excuses."

Munce, who won the 1998 Slipper on Prowl, said Dance Hero feels as formidable as he did before blitzing rivals in the Magic Millions in January - running the fastest 1200m by a juvenile this season.

Yesterday's trial win franked the weight of money which has seen Dance Hero's Slipper quote continue to shorten since his Skyline Stakes win a fortnight ago.

TAB Limited now rates the gelding a $6 chance behind Alinghi ($2.25) and Charge Forward ($4.50).

It was enough for the Waterhouse publicity machine to jump into overdrive.

"I spoke to Chris [Munce] after the trial and said 'Has he done enough to win the Golden Slipper?"' the trainer said.

"Chris said 'He will win by a minute'. They were his words."

When questioned about the quote Munce couldn't help but be taken by Waterhouse's enthusiasm.

"You know Gai, that's all I will say," Munce laughed.

"She gets a bit carried away."

Waterhouse yesterday admitted she deliberated for some time before deciding the two-year-old would barrier trial in preference to start in today's $140,000 Pago Pago Stakes.

"I'm mindful that he's a clean- winded horse and that he comes to hand quickly," Waterhouse said.

"He is an extremely athletic horse and that's what will win the Golden Slipper."

"We went this path with Ha Ha who was a much more robust horse than Dance Hero.

"Every horse who is going into this race has had a stack of runs, the favourite [Alinghi], Fastnet Rock ... they have all had a million and one runs.

"He's [Dance Hero's] the only horse going into the race with a little bit up his sleeve and we would like to think he could be competitive in the triple crown."

Prior to Dance Hero's explosive Magic Millions win Waterhouse said she rated the gelding on par with Excellerator who won the 2001 Magic Millions before finishing second to Ha Ha in the Slipper.

That opinion was re-evaluated by both Waterhouse and Munce post race.

"He is so like Excellerator it's not funny but Chris said straight after the Millions that he is much better than Excellerator," the trainer said.

"Chris said Dance Hero has a much higher cruising speed."

Waterhouse only has one runner qualified for this year's Slipper but is warming to that number swelling today.

Monsoon Wedding [Magic Night Stakes] and Pago Pago Stakes contenders Assafa and High Priority are all capable of defying history and winning their way into the $3million showpiece.

"Monsoon Wedding is a sister to Redoute's Choice and Platinum Scissors and she is very talented," the trainer said.

"This is a tough task and she is well drawn and I expect her to be very competitive.

"I'm also pleased with both Assafa and High Priority.

"Assafa resented the hard track in Canberra in the Black Opal.

"This race isn't any harder and he will be fighting out the finish."

* ON-Course patrons at Rosehill today will be able to see interstate racing after Sky Channel and the STC reached an agreement over the matter.

The STC internet broadband coverage has also been extended to allow those not on track a better chance of seeing the races.

Last weekend many punters were disgrunted at not being able to access the internet service or in the service being too slow.

The STC, with the assistance of its broadband provider, has made several improvements and is confident in the improvements it has made.

[Donny]

Ballybleue Slipper doubt

By Tony Arrold - Fox


SILVER Slipper Stakes winner Ballybleue is running a temperature and in doubt for the $3 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill tomorrow.

Trainer Anthony Cummings is hoping that treatment with antibiotics will control and ease the bacterial infection overnight and put the classy filly back in the race.

"She's eating well, seems bright within herself and her work routine has not been interrupted because of it (the temperature), but it is not what you want on the eve of a big race," Cummings said.

Gai Waterhouse's speedy filly Wager is also under a fitness cloud after banging her right knee in her box yesterday.

The swelling is being treated and Wager will undergo an official examination tomorrow to clear her to run.

Cummings will be guided by what his veterinarian recommends after he has assessed the value of the antibiotic treatment when he inspects Ballybleue this morning.

Treatment with antibiotics in this type of case is allowable this close to a race, providing such treatment does not include procaine penicillin, a banned substance.

If Ballybleue is cleared by the stable's vet this morning, Racing NSW stewards will send its veterinary officer to examine the filly and file a report of fitness.

Ballybleue, with Hugh Bowman booked to ride, put herself into the Golden Slipper picture when she won the Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on February 21. Those behind her that day included Slipper runners Econsul, Uber, Fastnet Rock, Dane Shadow and Burning Sands.

At $15 in the latest Slipper market, Ballybleue is the top-ranked filly behind firm favourite Alinghi, who has tightened further from $2.20 to $2.15 in the past 24 hours.

Pin-up galloper Lonhro is the $1.65 favourite to defend his crown in the $400,000 Ryder Stakes (1500m) in what is the penultimate race of his career before joining his sire Octagonal on the Woodlands Stud next spring.

Octagonal, two-time winner of The BMW in 1996 and 1997, will be paraded at Rosehill and lead the six-strong Ryder Stakes field on to the track.

Woodlands Stud yesterday announced that Lonhro - hot favourite for Horse of the Year honours - will stand at a fee of $66,000 in his first stud season.Markets

Markets
Golden Slipper Stakes: $2.15 Alinghi; $6 Dance Hero; $8 Charge Forward; $13 Crimson Reign; $15 Ballybleue; $21 Wager, Tahni Girl; $26 Fastnet Rock; $51 Econsul, She's In Demand; $67 Burning Sands; $81 Uber; $201 Faster Pussycat, Flying Firebird.Ryder Stakes: $1.65 Lonhro; $3.50 Private Steer; $8 Grand Armee; $13 Keep The Faith; $17 Titantic Jack; $34 Platinum Scissors; $51 Gentle Genius.

[Donny]

Gai launches Dance party

By Ray Thomas - Fox

DANCE Hero foiled a multi-million-dollar betting plunge on favourite Alinghi and defied racing convention to lead all the way to win the $3million Golden Slipper at Rosehill yesterday.

In doing so, Dance Hero turned around trainer Gai Waterhouse's lean season to give the trainer her second win in the world's richest juvenile race.

Before a massive crowd of 32,665, the biggest Slipper crowd in more than a decade, Dance Hero ($5.50) held off Charge Forward ($7) to win by a short-neck. Alinghi ($1.70) rocketed home for third, three-quarters of a length further back.

Dance Hero sped around the Rosehill 1200m course in a sizzling 1min 8.6sec, smashing the race record held by 2002 winner Calway Gal (1m8.81s).

The Slipper also proved to be one of the keenest betting races in years with Dance Hero one of the best backed runners.

It is understood Darwin bookie Mark Read won more than $100,000 in bets on Dance Hero.

But the real betting came on the Lee Freedman-trained Alinghi, who was sensationally backed from $2.10 into $1.70, the first odds-on favourite in a Golden Slipper since Imagele fell mid-race in 1973.

"The money just kept coming, $5000 bets, $10,000 bets, it was a huge go," rails fielder Colin Tidy said.

It was estimated bookmakers faced a $2million-plus payout if Alinghi had won but a combination of her awkward barrier and Dance Hero's courageous front-running brought about her undoing.

Alinghi's defeat also means the run of outs for Slipper favourites continues, with none being successful since Courtza 15 years ago.

Trainer Lee Freedman was downcast after the race, obviously believing Alinghi conceded too much start to Dance Hero.

"She would have needed to have been Secretariat to win that race," Freedman said.

"She's come home in around 33sec and she's still been beaten."

Alinghi's actual sectional time for the final 600m was an amazing 33.36s, which was clearly the fastest in the race.

However, Alinghi was standing Dance Hero at least six lengths' start on the home turn and, despite finishing with a powerful rush, she never appeared likely to catch the winner.

In fact, winning jockey Chris Munce said he had always been confident Dance Hero would hang on to score.

"They had no hope of getting him," Munce said.

"I know this horse, he only does what he has to do but when he's challenged, he'll find something more."

Dance Hero defied usual Slipper logic to win the big race. Consider the following:

* The last horse to lead all the way in a Golden Slipper was the great Manikato in 1978.

* No juvenile before had won the Magic Millions-Golden Slipper double.

* Dance Hero only had one lead-up run, a preparation many thought too light.

Waterhouse, however, knew what she was doing.

"He's an outstanding two-year-old, he does everything right but reserves his best for competition," Waterhouse said.

"When I lost Wager (scratching) on Friday, I just thought to myself 'let's get this race over and done with'.

"I've been totally focused on the Golden Slipper with Dance Hero for months and I knew I couldn't get him any better."

Waterhouse was banking on Dance Hero's brilliant speed to run Alinghi and co off their legs yesterday - and so it proved.

She said Dance Hero will attempt to win Sydney's coveted juvenile triple crown.

"He's running in the AJC Sires' Produce Stakes and Champagne Stakes," she said.

The only horses to complete the treble are Baguette (1970), Luskin Star (1977), Tierce (1991) and Burst (1992).

Dance Hero gave Waterhouse and Munce their second Golden Slipper. Waterhouse won with Ha Ha in 2001 and Munce on Prowl in 1998.

Charge Forward was given the run of the race by jockey Darren Beadman and only narrowly failed to overhaul Dance Hero.

Trainer John O'Shea made no excuses, saying the best horse won.

Dance Hero's win also stopped the recent fillies' dominance in the race.

Fastnet Rock (fourth) meant three of the first four over the line were males, with Tahni Girl and Crimson Reign next to finish.

[pies4ever]

i put $70 on dance hero at $5.60,thank god it won,just got it,but not by much,and won $392,which is going towards my car.


cheers bryan..!!

[Donny]

Well done, mate.

Obviously you read the lead article in this topic.

[Greg J]

I was on Fastnet Rock. It ran 4th.