SYDNEY - Brian Jenkins' luck turned dramatically yesterday when his colt Dr Green sneaked into the Golden Slipper field and then the Cambridge trainer drew barrier one for the world's richest two-year-old race.
Bad luck has dogged Jenkins in his two-month Australian campaign with the headstrong colt.
He has endured
outside draws, a nightmare horse-float trip which saw Dr Green hare uncontrollably to the front in the Skyline Stakes and some unflattering press comment about the colt's habit of pulling in his races.
After the weekend, it did not look as if Dr Green had enough prizemoney to make Saturday's A$3 million Golden Slipper field, but the number of acceptors fell away.
The connections of 16 horses paid up, making a full field with no emergencies. Even transtasman trainer Graeme Rogerson's Poetic Genius, with lower prizemoney than Dr Green, made it into the field.
Jenkins, thrilled to have a runner in the showcase event, was nonetheless worried at the barrier draw.
When he strode to the stage, the six owners or trainers before him had all drawn single figure barriers. The odds of him drawing an outside marble were tight.
But he picked up marble one, just inside front running types Seidnazar and Fashions Afield.
Jenkins said he would have preferred barrier five or six.
"But one is a lot better than 16."
Race favourite Snitzel drew 12, but bookmaker Colin Tidy still had him a clear $3.30 favourite, ahead of Fashions Afield at $6, Mnemosyne at $7, Stratum at $9 and Undoubtedly $10. Dr Green firmed in from $81 to $67.
The connections of Opportunity, who paid a A$135,000 ($145,600) late acceptance fee because the Melbourne filly was not nominated for the slipper, had the bad luck to draw barrier 16.
The owners of Cheval De Troy added interest to Saturday's A$2 million weight-for-age BMW when they paid up for the Zabeel colt.
He drew the outside barrier of 11 and was listed by Tidy as a $13 third favourite, behind Grand Armee at $1.80 and Australian Cup winner Makybe Diva at $2.25.
Shane Dye, who is returning from Hong Kong to ride Media in the slipper, will ride Cheval De Troy.
New Zealand-owned mare Vouvray is a $17 fourth favourite.
- NZPA
