Kris Lees has gone back to basics with Golden Slipper hopeful Elimbari who will be without blinkers in the $3.5 million showpiece.Lees elected to take the shades off his filly following her fifth to Slipper favourite Military Rose in the Reisling Stakes on March 20.He will also revert to having Elimbari ridden quietly after she settled fourth last start and only battled to the line."We intend to ride her quietly, that's how she wants to be ridden," Lees said."We made her race up a bit closer at
Kris Lees has gone back to basics with Golden Slipper hopeful Elimbari who will be without blinkers in the $3.5 million showpiece.
Lees elected to take the shades off his filly following her fifth to Slipper favourite Military Rose in the Reisling Stakes on March 20.
He will also revert to having Elimbari ridden quietly after she settled fourth last start and only battled to the line.
"We intend to ride her quietly, that's how she wants to be ridden," Lees said.
"We made her race up a bit closer at her last two and she's come off the bridle earlier than we would have liked.
"I was very happy with her Kindergarten run then we put the blinkers on and she was disappointing in the Reisling.
"She raced a little bit flat, whether her first-up run took a bit out of her I don't know."
Elimbari, a three-quarter sister to former top juvenile Amelia's Dream, was doing her best work late when second to another Slipper hopeful, Solar Charged, in the Kindergarten Stakes on March 6.
That was on a slow track and Lees said Elimbari appeared to get through the rain-affected ground reasonably well.
The Rosehill track was rated a heavy (8) on Wednesday and with many of the Golden Slipper runners unknown on wet ground, Lees said the conditions would throw the race wide open.
The likelihood of a hot tempo with Brightexpectations, Chance Bye, Crystal Lily, Georgette Silk and Solar Charged all likely to go forward, might also help Elimbari.
"The heavy track and the high pressure are probably our only genuine chances to turn the tables on those two (Military Rose and Solar Charged), being realistic," Lees said.
"The wet track definitely makes the race more open."
Glyn Schofield has ridden Elimbari at her past two starts and again has the mount in the Slipper with the filly to jump from barrier 11 in the field of 15.
"I'm happy with that, I'd prefer her to be out and have a bit of room," Lees said.
Elimbari will be Lees' first runner in a Golden Slipper.
The Novacastrian won the 2008 Group One Champagne Stakes with champion filly Samantha Miss but she was unable to force her way into that year's Slipper field.
Pending Elimbari's performance on Saturday, she could also head to the AJC Sires' Produce (1400m) and Champagne Stakes (1600m) which along with the Golden Slipper make up the two-year-old triple crown.
Military Rose remained the $3.60 favourite with TAB Sportsbet on Wednesday with Elimbari one of the outsiders of the field at $71.