Bookmakers shortened Storm Boy from $2.30 to $2.10 after the barrier draw, contrary to the thinking of Magnier. The draw should see Storm Boy, which was valued at $30 million when sold to Coolmore following his Magic Millions win in January, find the rail in running, where 18 of the past 20 Golden Slipper winners have settled.
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Despite his good draw, Switzerland was pushed out from $4 to $4.20 by Sportsbet, but jockey James McDonald couldn’t think of a better barrier to jump from.
“It’s a brilliant draw for my horse,” McDonald said. “I have won two Hong Kong Cups and a Cox Plate from that draw in the past couple of years, so it has been kind of lucky for me too.
“It will allow him to get the right position in the running, and he will get his chance to come home over the top of them.
“I’m very happy with the draw for my horse and he worked really well again [on Tuesday] morning.”
Waterhouse and Bott will have at least six runners in the Slipper. Breeders’ Plate winner Espionage is the only emergency for the race.
Bott was delighted to see five of his team draw single-figured gates. Fully Lit got the coveted rails alley, Shangri La Express three, and Lady Of Camelot, a $12 chance, looks the likely leader from barrier five.
“To get six in the race and have four draw in the five inside gates, it doesn’t get much better than that,” Bott said. “Even Straight Charge in barrier nine isn’t that bad because he will go forward.
“They went out and did the right things on the track [on Tuesday] morning, so it has been a good day for us and hopefully that continues to Saturday.”
Racing NSW stewards inspected all 17 Golden Slipper runners on Monday and had no concerns about their actions or fitness. The field will be inspected by stewards and vets again later in the week.
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