Buckjumping displays by the Golden Slipper favourite More Joyous and leading hope Essaouira in different states on Saturday threw the two-year-old feature wide open.Firstly, the Lee Freedman-trained Essaouira put her hopes in jeopardy when she bucked in the Chairman's Stakes at Caulfield and a couple of hours later at Rosehill More Joyous took no part in the Silver Slipper after the start when the saddle slipped and she also put on a rodeo performance.Essaouira was a $1.55 chance at Caulfield an

Buckjumping displays by the Golden Slipper favourite More Joyous and leading hope Essaouira in different states on Saturday threw the two-year-old feature wide open.

Firstly, the Lee Freedman-trained Essaouira put her hopes in jeopardy when she bucked in the Chairman's Stakes at Caulfield and a couple of hours later at Rosehill More Joyous took no part in the Silver Slipper after the start when the saddle slipped and she also put on a rodeo performance.

Essaouira was a $1.55 chance at Caulfield and an $11 hope for the $3.5 million Golden Slipper before her race while More Joyous was the $1.35 Silver Slipper favourite.

More Joyous remains favourite for the $3.5 million Golden Slipper, easing from $5 to $5.50, but will now need to run again to ensure she gains a start in the world's richest juvenile event on April 4.

A shellshocked Gai Waterhouse could only shake her head as she watched More Joyous come to a stop shortly after the start of the Silver Slipper with Nash Rawiller doing everything to try to control the filly.

"I'm as baffled as anybody," Waterhouse said.

High-profile owner John Singleton was also almost lost for words.

"One minute you have the favourite in the Slipper, now she's not in the Slipper," Singleton said.

It was the second year in a row doom has descended on Waterhouse in the Silver Slipper.

In 2008, Amelia's Dream dominated the race and was the Golden Slipper favourite but just a couple of hours later she was ruled out with injury and has not raced since.

In the drama surrounding the Silver Slipper, Melito's win was almost overlooked but trainer Gerald Ryan was more than happy after she qualified for the Golden Slipper with a two-length win over Sunday Rose.

"I don't like to see that happen to any horse and I would rather she had beaten her at the other end of the race," he said.

"But I'm very happy with my filly and very happy she is in the Slipper.

"She is an improving type and will get better. The plan would be to run her in two weeks and then go to the Slipper."

Waterhouse's plans went out the window with the drama. She had planned to qualify More Joyous through the Silver Slipper and not run again until the main event.

Rawiller pleaded with stewards not to make More Joyous go back to the barrier trials.

"It wasn't her fault," he said.

"The saddle slipped beyond the point of no return.

"But she had enough sense to come out of it. Many other horses would have kept going until they killed themselves and me."

Stewards asked Waterhouse what her plans were and she said she believed the filly had to go back to the barrier trials.

There are barrier trials scheduled for Rosehill next Friday with qualifying races for the Golden Slipper on each of the four Saturdays in March.