More Joyous retains favouritism for the $3.5 million Golden Slipper but has a tough road ahead to gain a start.The Gai Waterhouse-trained filly put on a buck jumping display when her saddle slipped at the beginning of Saturday's Silver Slipper at Rosehill and she took no part in the race.Waterhouse had not intended to run her again before the $3.5 million Golden Slipper on April 4 but those plans have now changed with More Joyous needing to earn prizemoney to cement her place in the field.The tr
More Joyous retains favouritism for the $3.5 million Golden Slipper but has a tough road ahead to gain a start.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained filly put on a buck jumping display when her saddle slipped at the beginning of Saturday's Silver Slipper at Rosehill and she took no part in the race.
Waterhouse had not intended to run her again before the $3.5 million Golden Slipper on April 4 but those plans have now changed with More Joyous needing to earn prizemoney to cement her place in the field.
The trainer pre-empted a stewards' ruling that the filly go back to the barrier trials when she told the inquiry into the race that was the course of action she would take.
"We don't call her More Joyous anymore, she is More Sadness," Waterhouse said.
In an extraordinary day, another leading Slipper contender Essaouira also gave a performance worthy of a rodeo at Caulfield which put her out of contention in the Chairman's Stakes.
She will also have to trial and race again.
More Joyous earned $62,000 for her dominant debut win in January after which she was elevated to the top of Slipper markets.
The cut-off point for entry into the 16-horse field likely to be well above $100,000 and the Lee Freedman-trained Essaouira has just over $20,000 from her Moonee Valley win in February.
More Joyous eased only slightly from $5 to $5.50 for the Golden Slipper but Essaouira drifted from $11 to $21.
Almost forgotten in the drama at Rosehill was the win by Melito in the Silver Slipper and she has firmed from $26 to $8.
Although trainer Gerald Ryan would rather have beaten More Joyous at the finish line than the start, he is in no doubt Melito is a worthy Golden Slipper contender.
"She has done nothing but improve and she will improve even more," he said.
"She still has a bit to learn but she is in the Slipper now.
"I will run her again in two weeks then we go to the Slipper."
Melito ran second to Horizons, a stablemate of More Joyous, on debut on a wet track at Randwick on February 14.
In the Silver Slipper she beat Sunday Rose by two lengths with the runner-up's trainer Bart Cummings also expecting improvement from his filly.
"I think she went pretty well and has will improve with the run," Cummings said.
Sunday Rose is into $12 in Slipper markets alongside Queenslander Streets Away.