Golden Slipper hopeful Horizons has everyone at Tulloch Lodge excited about her autumn prospects after she held her own in a star-studded barrier trial at Randwick.The Choisir filly will have her next start in the Listed Widden Stakes (1100m) at Randwick on February 14, a race that Melbourne Cup winning jockey Blake Shinn says she will win.It was the strength of Horizons' barrier trial on Friday where she tackled star three-year-olds Northern Meteor and Fist Of Fury that has Shinn and trainer Ga
Golden Slipper hopeful Horizons has everyone at Tulloch Lodge excited about her autumn prospects after she held her own in a star-studded barrier trial at Randwick.
The Choisir filly will have her next start in the Listed Widden Stakes (1100m) at Randwick on February 14, a race that Melbourne Cup winning jockey Blake Shinn says she will win.
It was the strength of Horizons' barrier trial on Friday where she tackled star three-year-olds Northern Meteor and Fist Of Fury that has Shinn and trainer Gai Waterhouse keenly anticipating the Widden.
The Randwick trainer admits she set Horizons an impossible task by asking her to compete with the top-line older horses but believes the end result has justified her decision.
Horizons battled hard to run fourth to Fist Of Fury in the 800 metre hitout in which her Group One winning stablemate Northern Meteor finished a close second to Fist Of Fury.
"I knew she couldn't win but I wanted her to have a run on the course proper and to give her a run against those two super horses and she held her own until the final furlong (200m) against two of the best young horses in Australia," Waterhouse said.
"Blake told me as soon as he got off her in the trial that she'd win the Widden based on how she matched it with those two, she's going enormous, going against those horses will do her the world of good."
Horizons has not raced since finishing sixth to Phelan Ready in the Magic Millions Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on January 10.
The youngster suffered a minor setback when she twisted a knee after winning a barrier trial at Rosehill in her build-up to the Magic Millions.
She received treatment and was back in action after missing five days of work.
On debut Horizons started the $2.25 favourite in the Gimcrack Stakes and was run down by the Clarry Conners-trained Our Joan Of Arc at Randwick in October.
Horizons followed that up with a comfortable victory at Randwick over 1000 metres two weeks later.
She is at $19 with Colin Tidy's betchoice.com for the Golden Slipper while stablemate More Joyous is the $5 favourite and will have her next start in the Group Two Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on February 28.
One horse sure to have a huge say in the Widden Stakes is Patinack Farm filly Marquardt.
The Shamardal youngster defeated the much-hyped Waterhouse colt Manhattan Rain on debut at Rosehill on Saturday and in the process firmed in Golden Slipper betting from $34 to $17.