The Golden Slipper focus was firmly on second favourite Smart Missile on Tuesday following a scintillating workout at Randwick and a favourable barrier draw for Saturday's $3.5 million race.The Anthony Cummings-trained colt toppled Slipper favourite Sepoy in the Todman Stakes on March 19 to stake his claims for the world's richest race for two-year-olds at Rosehill.Smart Missile came up with gate five at Tuesday's barrier draw and is in to $4.60 with TAB Sportsbet while Sepoy, who will jump from
The Golden Slipper focus was firmly on second favourite Smart Missile on Tuesday following a scintillating workout at Randwick and a favourable barrier draw for Saturday's $3.5 million race.
The Anthony Cummings-trained colt toppled Slipper favourite Sepoy in the Todman Stakes on March 19 to stake his claims for the world's richest race for two-year-olds at Rosehill.
Smart Missile came up with gate five at Tuesday's barrier draw and is in to $4.60 with TAB Sportsbet while Sepoy, who will jump from 10, is out to $3.20 from $2.90 at the weekend.
Smart Missile's Tuesday morning gallop with race jockey Glen Boss aboard was greeted by silence in the usually raucous trainers' hut after he was clocked at 33.8 seconds for his final 600 metres.
"I was aware of the eerie silence to my right, it was notable," Cummings said.
"But for me it was the nature of the way he did it, he did it within himself.
"He is still learning and this was another step in him understanding what's required."
Fellow Randwick trainer John O'Shea who has leading contenders Foxwedge and Elite Falls in the race, maintained he was busy with his raisin toast at the time and missed the gallop.
However he was more than happy with his own two who had mixed fortunes in the barrier draw with Foxwedge ($9) getting 11 and $11 chance Elite Falls 16.
The emergency Do You Think drew nine so the O'Shea pair will each come in one gate if he doesn't gain a start.
"There is plenty of speed outside Foxwedge so he should be able to get a lovely run," O'Shea said.
"Rain doesn't worry me, wet or dry is fine and I wouldn't change him for anything.
"Sixteen is better than one for Elite Falls because she gets back anyway."
Barrier one went to Victorian filly Mosheen from the Leon Corstens stable while leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller's first Slipper runner Fast And Sexy will jump from the outside gate.
Bart Cummings could have three runners if Do You Think makes his way into the field to join Salade (barrier 12) and Empress Rock (three).
Cummings is one of three trainers in the race to have won the Slipper on four occasions with Clarry Conners to saddle up Satin Shoes and Lee Freedman Masthead.
Conners was more than happy with barrier two for Satin Shoes who suffered her first defeat when beaten in the Reisling Stakes by Elite Falls.
"I would prefer there was no more rain at all," he said.
"But she is beautiful, she had a good workout this morning with Hugh Bowman aboard so I'm happy."
The Peter Snowden-trained Sepoy will be joined in the race by his Darley-owned stablemate Altar who came to the fore in Saturday's Magic Night Stakes.
All three of Bart Cummings' runners have also come to the fore in the past week and a half, making winning debuts at Canterbury, Rosehill and Warwick Farm.
If one of them wins, it will be the first time a horse having just its second start has been successful since Toy Show in 1975.
Cummings' foreman and grandson James admitted there was a sense of timing about the Slipper.
"A month ago it didn't look like we would have a Slipper runner, now we could have three," he said.
"But we kept paying up for a reason and our opinions have been vindicated.
"It's rare but they've all come good at the same time."
Empress Rock and Do You Think are outsiders at $101 and $71 respectively but Salade impressed with his Pago Pago Stakes win on Saturday to be a $13 chance.