A host of highly-rated youngsters will take a crucial step towards the Golden Slipper at Rosehill on Saturday when their claims to the $3.5 million race will sink or soar.The Group Two Silver Slipper (1100m) has attracted a crack field of entries headed by unbeaten filly Chance Bye, Magic Millions runner-up Ambers Waltz, Breeders Plate winner Run For Wilson and last-start Widden Stakes victor Georgette Silk.Throw in Mafia Miss, Intertidal, Zutara and Divorces and the race is shaping as the most

A host of highly-rated youngsters will take a crucial step towards the Golden Slipper at Rosehill on Saturday when their claims to the $3.5 million race will sink or soar.

The Group Two Silver Slipper (1100m) has attracted a crack field of entries headed by unbeaten filly Chance Bye, Magic Millions runner-up Ambers Waltz, Breeders Plate winner Run For Wilson and last-start Widden Stakes victor Georgette Silk.

Throw in Mafia Miss, Intertidal, Zutara and Divorces and the race is shaping as the most important guide yet to the Golden Slipper.

Trainer Rick Worthington has nominated his Slipper hopefuls Corvidae and Gold Arena, although the latter will be saved for the Kindergarten Stakes a week later.

Corvidae will take his place and Worthington is under no illusions about the task he faces.

"It will be a very strong form race," Worthington said.

"There will be no room for the faint-hearted on Saturday."

Corvidae began his career in Victoria before being transferred to Worthington at Warwick Farm and has largely flown under the radar.

At his first start for his new trainer he was runner-up to the highly-regarded Hinchinbrook in the Canonbury Stakes.

It was the colt's first start in the clockwise direction and Worthington said he would take great benefit from that experience.

"I would have loved to have trialled him leading into that but they were called off due to the rain and when they put them back on it was too close to the race," Worthington said.

"He didn't go into the Canonbury under-prepared but he would have been better if he'd had that trial experience.

"He has more muscle now and he's further down the track in his preparation but he needs to be because it's a tough race."

Corvidae is among entries for the Golden Slipper but like most two-year-olds he needs to boost his current prizemoney earnings of just over $40,000 to secure a berth.

"He's got to earn his way there and if he can't win a lead-up race then he probably doesn't deserve to be there," Worthington said.

No winner of the Silver Slipper has gone on to claim the Golden Slipper since the race was switched from the spring to the autumn in 1997.

However, both Polar Success (2003) and Ha Ha (2001) finished second before going on to win the juvenile feature.

The winner of the Silver Slipper is exempt from any Golden Slipper ballot.