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The talk is that Golden Slipper favourite Samaready is tipped for likely victory today.
The unbeaten filly is to become quite the show stopper, if those in the know are correct.
Mick Price, the well-respected trainer from had a few words to share in regards to her winning the Riesling Stakes at Rosehill a fortnight ago.
"In the warmer weather up here she has really cleaned up," Price said. "She has a real summery coat on her now, a rich coat. I have an idea what I want to see when I see them, and I thought she had absolutely bloomed. I think I'll catch her on the way up."
That is paramount for Price and his jockey Craig Hewitt as they go for the win in the $3.5 million race that is one of Australia's most important races.
"That is the thing, isn't it?" Price said. "There will be 100 yards from first to last in the Golden Slipper, a lot of the two-year-olds will go there on empty. The trick is the winner is on the way up and that's what we have tried to do.
"I mean, in the back of my mind you are trying to beat the fact you've got to peak her twice."
It doesn't seem apparent that the world's richest race for two-year-olds wasn't on his agenda.
"The Blue Diamond was goal No. 1 and I wouldn't have said at any point the Slipper took priority over that," the trainer said.
Samaready got the nod and clearance at Price's stables later than usual. The filly bred by retail business tycoon Gerry Harvey was tipped to be sold at his Magic Millions sale but was withdrawn.
"I didn't know she was allocated to me in August, maybe September," Price said. "I've usually got all my two-year-olds programmed to a point by then."
The crew at Vinery Stud, which includes Harvey, paid $150,000 grand for the daughter of sire star More Than Ready at last year's William Inglis Easter sale.
"She came to us not long before the first preparation she raced in. It was the first time I'd seen her. I had a pretty good idea on her, I wanted to qualify her prizemoney-wise for the Blue Diamond, which is why we ran her at Flemington, even though physically she was on the way down.
"I was away for a week. Contacting the staff, they said, 'She's had enough, wanted to go to the paddock."
Price sent Samaready to the race on a downer, but he is a smart operator.
"That win was just a blessing because, with the prizemoney, we could formulate a really accurate program with her," he said.
"Nothing worse than having a horse ready for a race and you can't run due to a lack of prizemoney.
"After her first run we've been able to do everything we've wanted to. That part has been very good and she has done the rest."
Samaready has certainly achieve. She performed in the Blue Diamond prelude then thrashed rivals in the race the team wanted. She was cocky at Rosehill and now for the Golden Slipper.
"She is a tricky little thing," Price said. "She works good, doesn't blast away and win a gallop by five and six lengths. She does work good, matches up good in trackwork but she is a relaxed filly. She doesn't burn the track up, she only just does what she is asked to do."
The exercise routine that netted the Blue Diamond has been used to prime Samaready for today's date with the Golden Slipper.
"I didn't do a lot with her between the prelude and the Blue Diamond because I think if you are going to win a two-year-old race, you have to have your horse on the way up.
"After the Blue Diamond she was able to have nine days off, which did her a lot of good.
"She is the right horse, the right two-year-old to do this. Fetlocks, appetite, temperament - if any one of those goes wrong you are in a bit of trouble. With her, she passes all the tests and she has got gear No. 6; good horses have five, some have four, three.
"She seems to have gear number six at the end of 1200 metres."
Price is backing Newitt all the way.
"He is the man for the job," he said. "He'll be pumped on the day, he doesn't make many mistakes, a good aggressive rider. We won a group 1 in Sydney together, Pompeii Ruler won a Queen Elizabeth.
"He is not flustered, he is a little sportsman. I think he just likes it, no issue there."
"If this is pressure, I wish I had it every day," Price said.
"I wish I had a 6-4, red-hot, raging favourite all the time. I enjoy where I am at the moment.
"It sort of energises you, I guess. It is always good when you are away training horses, you've got more time to spend on them.
"You've got to be confident in what you are doing. You can only be guided by what they do on a racecourse and so far it has been good.
"I hope she is a red-hot favourite on Saturday and she wins."
Here's to a great day or racing and stay tuned for more reports from the track.
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