Slip-up Has Mcevoy Treading Water
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday March 21, 2003
Trainer Tony McEvoy will be hoping promising filly Global Dance can handle being thrown in the Golden Slipper deep end better than stablemate San Simeon's dip in the equine pool at Randwick earlier this week.
San Simeon had been due to partner Global Dance, a Sweet Embrace Stakes contender, on the float to Canterbury on Saturday night to contest the Skyline Stakes. But those plans were aborted after San Simeon bruised a leg in a swimming accident on Monday.
``He doesn't appear to have any effects from going under the water, he's not coughing or anything like that, but he has given his leg a bruise," McEvoy said.
The incident has forced McEvoy to tread water, revising the colt's path towards the $3 million Golden Slipper on April 12. San Simeon is regarded as the stable's leading Golden Slipper prospect following an impressive debut, winning at Cheltenham last month.
``I'll have a look at him in the morning and make a decision whether I can work him on Saturday morning," said McEvoy, who was due to arrive in Sydney from Melbourne last night.
``I'll look at running him in the Todman Stakes [on Saturday week] but if that is too soon, he will run in the Pago Pago [Stakes] the following week. There is also the two-year-old classic at Kembla there are a stack of options for him. We are not panicking... these things happen."
Global Dance steps up from a maiden win at Mornington to a group2 slipper qualifier alongside Legally Bay and How Funny.
``I'm asking her to do a big job," McEvoy said. ``But she's a nice filly. I really like her as a type, I think she has got a nice future. Whether she is a slipper filly, I'm not sure. I've basically got her [in Sydney] for the Heroic."
The Heroic Championship is an $850,000 restricted-sale race run on Doncaster day, April 19.
``She won nicely in a maiden at Mornington, so I thought I would get her up to Sydney early and get her used to [the Sydney way of going], give her a race and see where we are at."
McEvoy added last-start Flemington winner Fragmentation to his slipper contenders roster and may also include Living Spirit and Baggage, provided they impress in the listed Silver Jubilee Stakes at Moonee Valley on Saturday night.
``Fragmentation arrived in Sydney this morning and appears to have travelled well," McEvoy said. ``Provided she does really well, she will run in the Reisling [Stakes] next week. The Magic Night [Stakes on April 5] will be a back-up."
Despite his big team, McEvoy didn't have a runner in the Golden Slipper last year. This year promises to be different.
``We are in there having a go," he said. ``From all that we have seen I think it is reasonable to have the likes of Global Dance, San Simeon and Fragmentation there having a crack at it."
Golden Slipper markets are set to alter over the weekend with several leading slipper contenders stepping out, including Exceed And Excel in the Black Opal Stakes at Canberra.
``The barrier [12] won't worry him and we think he has a very good chance of winning," said Tim Martin, Exceed And Excel's trainer.
Sydney's dominant trainers, John Hawkes and Gai Waterhouse, each have a chance of sweeping the two-year-old features over the weekend with runners in the Skyline, Sweet Embrace and Black Opal.
Hawkes will saddle-up Blue Diamond Stakes runner-up Kusi in the Skyline, Legally Bay in the Sweet Embrace and Syrinx in Canberra.
Waterhouse has Freeze pushing for slipper qualification in the Skyline, How
Funny in the Sweet Embrace and Touched By God will fly the Waterhouse stable
flag in the Black Opal.
GOLDEN SLIPPER SNAPSHOT $140,000 Sweet Embrace Stakes, Canterbury, Saturday night Horse Slipper price Saturday's price Slipper order Legally Bay $12 $2.80 fav 31st How Funny $21 $3.20 11th Spurcent (n/n) $41 $4.60 21st Bella Corona $126 $7 35th $140,000 Skyline Stakes, Canterbury, Saturday night Freeze $34 $2.25 fav outside top 38 Kusi $11 $3.20 5th Red Mile $51 $4.60 36th Face Value $34 $9 25th Olympus $101 $13 32nd Resistor $51 $21 outside top 38 $150,000 Black Opal Stakes, Canberra, Saturday Exceed And Excel $10 $1.90 fav 37th Syrinx $151 $5 16th Handsome Ransom $81 $6 outside top 38 (n/n) denotes not nominated for the Golden Slipper. Note: winners of the Sweet Embrace and Skyline Stakes will be exempt from a ballot for the Golden Slipper.
© 2003 Sydney Morning Herald