Rosehill’s coveted Golden Slipper Day, the biggest event on the Sydney autumn carnival calendar, is set to take place this Easter Saturday featuring nine elite events to excite and entertain the crowds.

The headline race at the meeting, the one everyone will be there to watch and bet on, is the illustrious $3.5million Group 1 AAMI Golden Slipper (1200m), featuring 15 of the nation’s most promising and talented two-year-olds.

Currently the pre-race favourite for the 2010 Golden Slipper is unbeaten Gold Coast-trained filly Military Rose, the brilliant and versatile juvenile sitting at the top of the betting markets at $3.80 with IASbet.

But a wide barrier eight draw for Military Rose and uncertain track conditions have opened the 2010 Golden Slipper field right up, with any number of talented youngsters well positioned to take out the title.

Other top contenders include the Gai Waterhouse-trained colt Brightexpectations drawn ideally in barrier four and coming straight off an impressive win in the Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m), Beneteau in barrier six with Michael Rodd aboard, and two fast starting fillies Crystal Lily and Chance Bye drawn in barriers one and three respectively.

The two opening races at Rosehill on Saturday are Listed events to draw in the spectators, but the first Group status race of the day will be race three at 1:05pm, the $400, 000 Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes, also known as the Storm Queen Stakes.

16 brilliant three-year-old fillies are set to take to the track in the 2010 Vinery Stud Stakes including the Bart Cummings-trained Faint Perfume currently battling for favouritism with the likes of Valdemoro and the Peter Moody’s Set For Fame.

Following the Storm Queen Stakes is another excellent Group 1 race, the $400, 000 Queen of the Turf Stakes (1500m). This year the Queen of the Turf Stakes’ betting has been totally dominated by Australia’s highest rated mare, Typhoon Tracy in barrier 10.

Typhoon Tracy, a winner of nine of her 12 career starts, faces some of her toughest competition on Saturday including another from the Gai Waterhouse stable, More Joyous in barrier six, and the well positioned Sister Madly in barrier one.

Race five on the card for Saturday is the second biggest and most lucrative race at the meeting, the highly anticipated $2.25million Group 1 The BMW (2400m). Again, premier Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse has the odds-on favourite in the event with Theseo in barrier eight.

Following race seven, the Golden Slipper, two more quality group races will take place to finish off a sensational day of racing.

Race eight is the $150, 000 Group 2 MYER Tulloch Stakes (2000m) featuring staying champions trained by many of Australia’s best trainers. The line-up includes the Peter Snowden-trained Kidnapped in barrier eight, the Gai Waterhouse-trained Descarado in barrier seven and two from the stables of John Thompson, Count Encosta (barrier one) and Shamardashing (barrier five).

The closing race at Rosehill on Saturday will be the $125, 000 Group 3 The Sebring Stakes (1100m), an exciting sprint dash featuring Swift Alliance and the David Payne-trained More Than Great.

Rosehill Race Programme – Golden Slipper Day – Saturday April 3:

Unbeaten filly Military Rose remains the favourite for this Saturday’s $3.5million Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) despite drawing barrier eight in the 15 horse field for the world’s richest race for two-year-olds.

Prepared by Gold Coast trainer Gillian Heinrich, the impressive daughter of General Nediym is still sitting as the odds-on favourite for the 2010 Golden Slipper currently at $3.70, drifting from $3.60 post barrier draw, with IASbet.

A winner of all five of her career starts, the brown filly has already earned in excess of $1.5 million over her short career, and jockey Stathi Katsidis is confident she can win again on Saturday despite her less than ideal barrier draw.

Victory on Easter Saturday will catapult Military Rose into the history books as she will become the first filly ever to take out the Magic Millions 2YO Classic – Golden Slipper double.

Military Rose’s biggest threat is Crystal Lily who was has come up trumps in the barrier draw having secured the coveted inside running with barrier one. Winner of the Sweet Embrace Stakes last start Crystal Lily is a rising star destined for great things and her ideal barrier draw sees her become a huge danger on Saturday with IASbet shortening her odds accordingly to $5 second favourite.

Crystal Lily’s connections will be over the moon with her draw after paying a hefty late entry fee of $150, 000 to secure her spot in the 2010 Golden Slipper.

Another promising juvenile with the ability and now the draw to lead early on is More Than Ready colt Brightexpectations. From the stables of premier Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse, Brightexpectations burst into contention for this year’s Golden Slipper when he claimed an emphatic victory last weekend in the Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes. Brightexpectations will jump from barrier four.

Chance Bye is also an excellent contender in the 2010 Golden Slipper, the daughter of Snitzel having won all three of her race starts to date. The Silver Slipper Stakes winner has an impressive natural gate speed and this fast moving filly represents good value currently at $13 after having drawn well with barrier three; a barrier that will allow her to get to the front early and perhaps lead all the way.

Chance Bye will be ridden by hoop Kathy O’Hara who is aiming to become the first female jockey to win the Golden Slipper.

Golden Slipper hopefuls that did not fare so well with the barriers include the David Hayes-trained Shaaheq on the far outside in 15 and Waterhouse’s other starter More Strawberries in 14.

For more of the latest news and updates on the 2010 Golden Slipper visit www.races.com.au.

Final Field & Barriers for 2010 AAMI Golden Slipper:

This year the 2010 Rosehill Guineas was taken out by the promising Zabeel gelding, Zabrasive.

Trained by John O’Shea Zabrasive appreciated the extra distance of Saturday’s feature after placing an unfortunate fourth to Shoot Out in the Randwick Guineas (1600m) last start.

Zabrasive ($6) was ridden to perfection by Nash Rawiller and the two chased down early leader Gathering inside the 200m mark to get to the front, holding off a late challenge by Crown Guineas winner Rock Classic ($3.70) to win by a mere nose with Run For Narra ($11) two lengths further back for third.

The victory was Zabrasive’s first Group 1 win, and the talented youngster will move on to the $1.3million Group 1 AJC Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 10.

Earlier in the day a brilliant line-up of quality races entertained the crowds, with the first Group race at the meeting taking place as race four, the $150, 000 Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m).

This year the Pago Pago Stakes was won by Gai Waterhouse’s excellent More Than Ready colt Brightexpectations. The talented two-year-old began as the $2.60 favourite before going on to claim a dazzling all-the-way win over three lengths ahead of Blackball ($21) with the previously unbeaten Gerald Ryan-trained Hinchinbrook ($2.70) in third.

Brightexpectations has now burst into contention for the $3.5million Golden Slipper Stakes to be held next Saturday and is currently the third elect at $7.50 with IASbet to take out the richest two-year-olds’ race in the world behind Military Rose ($3.50) and Crystal Lily ($5.50).

Following the Pago Pago Stakes, the next event on the card at Rosehill was the $150, 000 Group 2 Magic Night Stakes (1200m), won by the Peter Moody-trained Tale Of The Cat filly Willow Creek in her first black type success.

Willow Creek settled worse than mid-field early in the event, as Psychologist stormed to the front leading by a devastating eight lengths at one stage.

But having pushed too hard to begin with, Psychologist faded over the closing stages of the race to finish a dismal tenth and allowing Willow Creek ($5) to race to victory three-quarters of a length ahead of the Gai Waterhouse-trained favourite More Strawberries ($3.50) with Celts a further half-length away for third.

The exciting Group racing action continued with the $150, 000 Group 2 Ajax Stakes (1500m) where the Kerry Parker-trained son of Fantastic Light, Brilliant Light, secured his sixth career win from 13 starts in a thrilling photo-finish event.

The four-year-old gelding began at odds of $5 and just managed to defeat equal second favourite Centennial Park by a short half-head with roughie Mentality ($31) in a fast finishing third.

It was a poor finish for the $2.90 favourite, Gai Waterhouse’s Rock Kingdom, who placed a listless sixth.

The performance was an excellent preparatory run for the $1.5million Group 1 Doncaster Handicap on April 17, for which Parker hopes Brilliant Light can gain a start for.

After the headline event, the Rosehill Guineas, the last Group race on the card and the closing event at the meeting was the $125, 000 Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) where Joseph Pride’s Patronyme ($6) claimed victory a half-length ahead of the talented Beaded ($4) with Melito, the pre-race favourite at $2.90, in third.

This coming Saturday Rosehill Gardens will host its biggest and most bet on race meeting of the year, Golden Slipper Day featuring an elite line-up of races including five Group 1 events.

Race Results – Rosehill – Saturday March 27, 2010:

The headline race of the day is the coveted $500, 000 Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) that has attracted 11 top three-year-olds.

The 2010 Rosehill Guineas is set to be an exciting showdown between this year’s Australian Guineas winner Rock Classic (br.5), trained by the legendary Bart Cummings, and last start winner of the Randwick Guineas Shoot Out (br.7).

Other quality gallopers thrown into the mix that will be looking to cause an upset include the David Hayes-trained Extra Zero (br.10), John Thompson’s Gathering (br.2) and Zabrasive drawn ideally in barrier one.

Earlier in the day some terrific events are scheduled to take place in the lead-up to the scheduled highlight.

The first Group status event of the day will be race four, the $150, 000 Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) where unbeaten Fastnet Rock colt Hinchinbrook (br.5) will start as the hot favourite, currently at $2.10 with IASbet.

Trained by Gerald Ryan, Hinchinbrook is the third elect for the $3.5million Golden Slipper Stakes on April 3 as he has already qualified for a start.

Many of the other juvenile colts and geldings lining up in the 2010 Pago Pago Stakes, however, will be desperate to put an end to Hinchinbrook’s excellent form and claim victory for the Golden Slipper ballot exemption that comes with victory on Saturday.

Hinchinbrook’s biggest threat will be the Gai Waterhouse-trained Brightexpectations in barrier four.

The next feature race on the programme, race five, is the $150, 000 Group 2 Magic Night Stakes (1200m) that also has a Golden Slipper ballot exemption on offer for the winning filly.

Tony Vasil’s talented Choisir filly Psychologist is the current favourite at $3.70 after drawing ideally with barrier two. She is followed closely by another excellent youngster trained by Gai Waterhouse, More Strawberries (br.10) at $4.40.

Other top runners in the 2010 Magic Night Stakes include Peter Moody’s Willow Creek (br.5) and the Clarry Conners-trained Georgette Silk (br.12).

Race six on Saturday will be the $150, 000 Group 2 Ajax Stakes (1500m) featuring 13 impressive gallopers including the Gai Waterhouse-trained Rock Kingdom installed as the top elect at $3.50 despite drawing wide with barrier 13.

The 2010 Ajax Stakes has a very open field with many exciting chances in the race such as Centennial Bark (br.4), Brilliant Light (br.3) and Kiloton (br.12).

Following the big event of the day, the Rosehill Guineas, the final black type race at the meeting will be race nine, the $125, 000 Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m). This year betting on the Birthday Card Stakes has been dominated by the Peter Snowden-trained Beaded.

Coming off a last start victory at Randwick where she defeated Group 1 Coolmore Classic winner Alverta, the impressive Lonhro mare will start from barrier eight on Saturday.

Other classy females Beaded will come up against include her stablemate Reniassance (br.3), the Gerald Ryan-trained Melito (br.11) and Patronyme (br.7).

Rosehill Race Programme – Saturday March 27, 2010:

Waterhouse’s two-year-old Extreme Mover took out the opening race of the day, the Golden Slipper Festival On Sale Handicap (1100m) and now has a strong chance of joining Wyong Slipper winner Brightexpectations at the feature Gold Coast event next month.

Extreme Mover, purchased for $70 000, gave Waterhouse her first metropolitan juvenile winner this season, and she will make the decision whether to run him in next month’s $2million Magic Millions (1200m) at the end of next week.

Already the young gelding has been installed as the second favourite behind Ambers Waltz for the event by the bookmakers.

On Saturday, Extreme Mover ($1.90F) defeated David Payne’s Reem ($7.50) by three lengths with Hot Rocks ($21) in third.

2009 Golden Slipper Festival On Sale Handicap Results:

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