Bell Holds Slipper Aces
Trainer Ryan Bell started this week thinking his chances of winning Friday’s Choices Flooring-Golden Slipper (2130m) rested entirely with Whataretheodds.
Now he has two in the race and both have come up with favourable draws.
Swingband joined Whataretheodds in the Group 1 field with a win in the Tyrepower Mandurah & Pinjarra Pace (1684m) at Pinjarra yesterday.
Swingband scored an effortless 14.8m win at race debut, which was enough to secure him a start in the $125,000 feature.
Bell admitted he was pleasantly surprised the son of Alta Christiano got a start in the race but was glowing in his assessment of yesterday’s performance.
“I always thought he was pretty good, but I haven’t overtaxed him so far,” he told The Trots WA.
“I told Aiden to go with the gate, see what he’s got and if you can hold up then do it.
“He didn’t pull the plugs or use the whip, so it shows us we’ve got a real race day horse.
“He’s shiny in his coat and he licked his bin, so nothing suggests he’s taken any harm from the run.”
Swingband now gets a golden opportunity to deliver Bell his first win in the Group 1 event, drawing barrier one earlier today.
Bell said he wouldn’t change a winning formula for Friday night and hoped to hold up from the inside draw.
“I think he will hold up comfortably and Aiden said he did it easily yesterday, despite how it looked,” he said.
“He looks like he’s well-conditioned and well educated and you don’t give up barrier one at Gloucester Park.
“There’s going to be pressure on, but he can cop it.”
Whataretheodds, who finished second in the Westbred Classic last month, has drawn barrier three for the Golden Slipper.
The Betting Line gelding was in the breeze in the early stages of the Westbred, before a mid-race move from Tricky Miki forced driver Michael Grantham to send him to the lead as the field turned to get the bell.
Bell said he was happy with how his charge had come through the run but indicated barrier three would be tricky for Grantham to navigate from.
“He was left vulnerable last start, but I thought it was a gun tactical drive,” he said.
“He came through it well and he’s worked well since.
“It’s a tricky draw with Tricky Miki draw in two and you’d imagine You’re So Fine would want to hold a forward position from barrier five.
“My bloke will hold a forward position too.”
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Bell said he wasn’t sure if Whataretheodds would be good enough to sit outside Swingband and win the race but would be happy if both of his horses were at the front of the field in the run.
“There’s two different sets of owners in these horses, so they will be running their own races and doing what’s best for them,” he said.
“I wouldn’t have thought Whataretheodds could breeze and get over Swingband, or if it was the other way around in the run.
“I think Whataretheodds races best when he’s rolling along and free wheeling so it’s a tricky question who would win in that situation.”
Shockwave’s fifth in the 2018 Golden Slipper was the closest Bell has come to success in the juvenile feature.
Bell said it was a race he desperately wanted to win.
“It’s one of the races on my bucket list of ones to win,” he said.
“Most of theses horses have been up all season but you also have Swingband, Tricky Miki and You’re So Fine that have entered the frame at the last minute.
“I’m extremely lucky to have two in the race, especially Swingband who’s been a project of mine.”
Shockwave is also set to feature on Friday night’s card, where he’s nominated for the Free-For-All event.
The Golden Slipper gets underway at 7.14 on Friday night.
WATCH THE WESTBRED CLASSIC BELOW
CHOICES FLOORING-GOLDEN SLIPPER FIELD
- Swingband
- Tricky Miki
- Whataretheodds
- The Miki Taker
- Youre So Fine NZ
- Wonderful To Fly
- Seven No Trumps
- Rock On Top
- Bushwacked
- Tomlous Jambo
- Follow The Music
- Floewriter
- Idolised (1st Emergency)
- Jackpot Joe NZ (2nd Emergency)
Tim Walker
Image – Hamilton Content Creators