De Campo Can’t Split Two-Year-Olds Ahead Of Slipper
Aiden De Campo admits he’s finding it impossible to separate his three star two-year-olds ahead of the Golden Slipper (2130m) at Gloucester Park on July 9.
De Campo, who trained and drove Rock On Top to win the Westbred Classic (2130m) on Friday night, has taken out all three Group 1 races for the colts and geldings this season and has a golden opportunity to make it a clean sweep in Friday week’s feature.
Rock On Top’s win came in addition to Floewriter’s win in the Sales Classic (1730m) in February and The Miki Taker’s win in the Pearl Classic (2130m) earlier this month.
De Campo said all three had shown plenty in this season’s two-year-old feature races, which made it hard for him to pick a standout.
“I quite liked all three of them, but you never know what they’re like until they go to the races,” De Campo told TABradio.
“They’ve all acquitted themselves really well and I’ve been lucky to pick up a Group 1 with each of them.
“I don’t like to have more than one horse in a race because I like to control them all myself.
“That way if anything goes wrong I can only blame myself.”
Rock On Top was in the breeze from the bell in the Westbred Classic and wore down Whataretheodds over the closing stages.
The gelding will have to trial prior to the Golden Slipper after he caused interference on Friday night and De Campo said it was something he was mindful of.
“I don’t know what it is with Gloucester Park,” he said.
“He doesn’t seem to like being on the rail.
“He wanted to run out quite badly.
“I was worried about no knocking anyone over outside me.
“At the bell when I could finally straighten him up and get him off the rail, I was quite happy where I was.”
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Floewriter led in the early stages of the Westbred Classic before he let Whataretheodds work to the front when Tricky Miki made a mid-race move.
He faded to finish seventh, while The Miki Taker never looked like threatening after he settled towards the rear of the field and finished last.
De Campo said he expected both to press on to the Golden Slipper.
“I was a little bit disappointed with the other two on Friday,” he said.
“Floewriter should’ve stuck on a little better than he did.
He seemed to pull up a bit big from the run, so I think he got away from us.
“The Miki Taker is a hard one.
“Coming up the track I think he didn’t really switch on.
“He was a touch disappointing as well.”
Meanwhile, The Lombardo, which was declared no race on Friday night, will now be held on Golden Slipper night.
Tim Walker
Image – Hamilton Content Creators