Racing: Golden Slipper fits Miss Finland nicely, thanks

SYDNEY - Money and power beat luck and the little bloke as the impeccably connected Miss Finland stormed to a Golden Slipper romp at Rosehill on Saturday.

Miss Finland's 4 1/2-length win earned Arrowfield, the biggest and richest locally owned stud in Australia, the lion's share of the A$1.8 million ($2.15 million) first prize and dashed the dreams of raffle-winning ambulance driver Steve Smith.

Smith's pre-race and sentimental favourite Casino Prince laboured home in 14th.

His was the story of the build-up to the Slipper, a hard-working ambulance driver who won a horse in a casino raffle trying to outdo the mega-syndicates and studs.

After an incredible run of luck to get this far, fortune deserted the father of two and the 30 family and friends he had at Rosehill on Saturday as Casino Prince reared in the stalls, lost a shoe and had two nails spike his foot.

"There's other races. We would have liked to have won this one but it wasn't our day," Smith said.

"It was bad luck. The luck hasn't run out, it was just a hiccup."

A hiccup for Smith maybe, but Casino Prince pulled up with a cough and will be spelled.

Even if his luck held, the colt would have had to be at his very best to have beaten a barnstorming run from Miss Finland, ridden superbly by freckle-faced Craig Williams and trained by David Hayes.

Miss Finland's triumph gave Hayes his first Slipper and matched his father Colin's 1985 win with Rory's Jester in the racing world's richest race for 2-year-olds.

Hayes has been back in Australia for nine months after spending 10 years in Hong Kong and the win marked a triumphant return home.

Arrowfield has played a part in producing seven of the last 12 Slipper winners, all courtesy of supersire Danehill.

Five were directly by Danehill and his son Redoute's Choice has produced the last two - Miss Finland and last year's winner Stratum.

As Casino Prince's disconsolate rider Jim Cassidy puffed on a cigarette outside the jockeys' room, Arrowfield owner John Messara was receiving all the plaudits and pats on the back from well-wishers including Australian federal Opposition leader Kim Beazley brandishing a winning ticket.

But one high-profile and powerful member of Messara's syndicate was missing from the celebrations with radio broadcaster Alan Jones in hospital recovering from surgery.

Pure Energy won back the A$135,000 late entry fee for owners Kevin and Tanith O'Brien with a A$600,000 cheque for finishing second while Hayes also claimed third with the well-fancied Churchill Downs.

The win was especially sweet for Williams as it was his first ride in the race.

"My mother and father flew up [from Victoria] to be here," Williams said. "It's fantastic and just a great thrill but credit where it's due, David Hayes put the blinkers on her and it was a big help.

"She had also had an experience this way of going and she just toyed with them, she's a star.

"It's like a beauty pageant and Miss Finland was the winner."