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:

The scheduled highlight was the $600, 000 Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) where Alverta gave trainer Paul Messara his first Group 1 success.

The talented Flying Spur mare stared at generous odds of $18 after having only recently returned to racing since failing to get into foal since her spring retirement.

Alverta, who had also given Messara his first metropolitan win and his maiden stakes victory, proved her trainer’s decision to race her again a brilliant one as she claimed a two length victory ahead of the Gai Waterhouse-trained Gold Water ($17) with Palacio De Cristal, the $5.50 favourite, in third.

Earlier in the day, the first Group 1 feature at the Rosehill meeting took place, the $400, 000 Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m). Premier Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse took out the staying feature with her classy gelding Theseo, winner of the feature last year.

Theseo become just the fourth horse in history to win back-to-back Ranvet Stakes and is proving one of the stars of the 2010 autumn carnival as he was coming off a last start win in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes.

Other highlights on the day included race three, where Gillian Heinrich’s brilliant filly Military Rose stormed into Golden Slipper favouritism when she toyed with her rivals to claim an emphatic victory in the $300, 000 Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m).

Military Rose has now won all five of her career starts and her unbeaten record and easy win ahead of high quality two-year-olds including John O’Shea’s Solar Charged who placed third on Saturday has seen her shorten to the $3.20 favourite with IASbet for the world’s richest race for two-year-olds on April 3.

Following Military Rose’s impressive victory, in race four at the Rosehill races on Saturday the David Payne-trained Masquerader maintained his unbeaten record winning his second race start in the $300, 000 Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m).

In the $150, 000 Group 2 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) Les Bridge’s six-year-old Nothin’ Leica Dane mare Hot Danish proved she still had plenty of steam, defeating a classy field including runner-up Black Piranha.

The final Group feature race of the day took place as race eight just after the Coolmore Classic. The $150, 000 Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) was won by the Peter Moody-trained Redoute’s Choice colt Tickets.

The victory gave the leading Caulfield trainer a small victory on a day filled with disappointment, including the scratching of his filly Set For Fame, an early favourite for the Coolmore Classic.

Race Results – Rosehill – Saturday March 20, 2010: