Ready For Victory retained his position as Victoria’s leading Golden Slipper hope following Tuesday morning’s allocation of barriers for Saturday’s $3.5 million event at Rosehill.
Sun Bloodstock representative David O’Callaghan picked barrier nine for the Mick Price-trained colt, who is striving to become the most inexperienced winner of the world’s richest two-year-old race.
The son of More Than Ready, who won on debut at Flemington on 7 March, will start from gate seven if the emergencies - Serenade (barrier seven), Racy (four) andHeavenly Hand (17) - do not gain a start in the field of 16.
Following the draw, Ready For Victory - who will be ridden by Nick Hall - retains his pre-draw quote of $11 with TAB.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained Vancouver (Tommy Berry), the $2.60 favourite heading into the draw, drifted to $2.80 after coming up with barrier 18, with Exosphere (James McDonald) steady at $4.60 after landing barrier 10.
The favoured pair will start from barriers 15 and eight respectively if the emergencies don’t run.
WATCH: Ready For Victory’s debut win at Flemington
Price is one of only two Victorian stables represented in this year’s Golden Slipper, withDavid Hayes and Tom Dabernig the other and their hopes, Haybah (Stephen Baster) and Reemah (Kerrin McEvoy), had contrasting fortunes drawing two and 15 respectively.
Damien Oliver will ride one of Waterhouse’s two other runners in the race, Speak Fondly($26), who drew barrier 12. English (Blake Shinn) fared best of Waterhouse’s trio, drawing barrier six.
Hawkes Racing has two runners in the race, Blue Diamond third placegetter Lake Geneva ($21) and debut Moonee Valley winner Headwater ($11), who drew five and 11 respectively, with Dwayne Dunn to ride Lake Geneva and Glen Boss on Headwater.
Craig Williams is the other Victorian-based hoop with a ride in this year’s Slipper and he has the outside barrier to overcome aboard Look To The Stars ($201).
Exosphere’s John O’Shea-trained stablemate Furnaces ($13, Hugh Bowman) drew the other extreme - gate one - which has been responsible for seven of the past 20 winners of the Golden Slipper. (www.racing.com)