Racing
Campione D'Italia and Spicy Miss qualify for Golden Slipper
Campione D'Italia staged a last-to-first form reversal and secured a start in the $5 million Golden Slipper at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
In a blanket finish when less than 1-1/2 lengths separated the top six finishers in the Group 2 $300,000 Skyline Stakes (1200m), trainer Chris Waller led in the quinella when Campione D'Italia edged out stablemate Central Europe.
Waller confirmed Campione D'Italia and Fireball (sixth) go straight to the Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 21 while Central Europe will be given his chance to qualify in the Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) in two weeks.
"He's always shown promise, and hence the reason why we've thrown him in the deep end in his first start and again here today,'' Waller said.
"We haven't backed off when he did a lot wrong. We stuck to our guns, went back to the trials.
"We've got a good team of track riders at home, just working on getting him to relax. He's a kind horse, but he's just so competitive.
"When those barriers open, he wants to get to the bend first and we've got to teach him to get to the winning post first. We're getting there.
"The beauty of the Golden Slipper is there's going to be speed, well you'd expect there will be speed, so I don't think you'll get a chance to over-race in a Golden Slipper."
Campione D'Italia is now trying to emulate Dance Hero (2004), {Prowl (1998), Guineas (1997), Star Wach (1988) and Sir Dapper (1983) as the only winners of the Skyline Stakes and Golden Slipper double.
TAB Fixed Odd price assessors tightened Campione D'Italia into $15 for the Golden Slipper.
Campione D'Italia ($41) finished strongly and just held off Central Europe ($11) to win by a nose with Star Of Jamaica ($21) a long head away third.
Warwoven had his chance before finishing a close fourth but did enough in his comeback run to retain Golden Slipper favouritism at $6.
But Central Europe, who was the big firmer from $18 to $9 second favourite after his luckless debut effort.
Waller said Central Europe, a son of English superhorse Frankel, will go to the Pago Pago Stakes in two weeks to try and qualify for the Golden Slipper.
This is the same path the trainer used with Shinzo to win the 2023 Golden Slipper.
"Central Europe was awesome,'' Waller said.
"He did a few little things wrong, and that's the negative about running in these big races first-up. Their little problems get highlighted, exaggerated.
"He was a bit fresh the first 200 or 300 metres of the race then he was trying to shoulder Campione D'italia out and he wouldn't budge.
"There was a little bit of argy-bargy there, but it didn't knock him off his game, and gee, he was strong late.''
In the fillies division, the Group 2 $300,000 Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m), it was another tight finish with Spicy Miss scoring narrowly and running slightly faster time than Campion D'Italia.
The Ciaron Maher-trained Spicy Miss ($4.40) raced on speed then held off the late surge of Screen Icon ($15) to win by a short neck with By Choice ($6.50) less than a length away third.
Favourite Pembrey ($2.45) was eased out of the speed battle early and although she raced in restricted room, the filly finished only fifth.
Maher said Spicy Miss will now go straight to the Golden Slipper on March 21,
"We'll just keep her ticking over, she's pretty right,'' Maher said.
"This has been the plan all along, so she'll just go through her usual work pattern, but she's pretty well there now.
"She's always shown that sort of ability. Her first run in the Golden Gift was very good. She was just a bit mentally immature and physically, and she made really nice progression in the break.
"She made really nice improvement out of her first run and her first-up run this preparation and just tightened nicely. I thought she presented well and she'll make similar improvement again.
"The Darby team have found another one, they do a very good job and I can't thank my team enough."
Spicy Miss was purchased for $150,000 by Scott Darby of Darby Racing at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale last year and has already recouped her purchase price with interest.
After being runner-up in the Group 3 Golden Gift and Listed Lonhro Plate to start her career, Spicy Miss' breakthrough win in the Sweet Embace took her earnings to nearly $400,000.
Darby Racing won the Golden Slipper with She Will Reign in 2017 and are now chasing their second win in the world's richest juvenile race as Spicy Miss is exempt from ballot.
Spicy Miss is now attempting to become only the fourth filly to complete the Sweet Embrace-Golden Sipper double after Dark Eclipse (1980), Ha Ha (2001), Crystal Lily (2010) and Fireburn (2022).
But Maher and Darby will need to find a new jockey for the Golden Slipper as Lloyd has already taken the ride on Melbourne colt Guest House.
Check out the latest Sydney News