Aeliana Poised to Shine on Golden Slipper Day as Waller Eyes Dominance
Rosehill Gardens is set to host a day of elite racing, and while the unbeaten sensation Autumn Glow is a major drawcard, premier trainer Chris Waller believes his mare Aeliana is more than capable of stealing the spotlight on Golden Slipper day. The formidable trainer feels Aeliana is ready to peak and could well headline the prestigious event for his powerhouse stable.
Even Adrian Bott, co-trainer of Aeliana’s main rival Sir Delius, acknowledges the significant challenge ahead. “It will be awfully hard to turn the tables on the mare,” Bott admitted ahead of Saturday’s Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m).
Sir Delius, currently rated a $3.10 chance with TAB for the Ranvet Stakes, faces an uphill battle against the heavily favoured Aeliana, who is priced at $1.65. Sir Delius, a dual Group 1 winner in the spring, had his campaigns controversially cut short after failing to pass Racing Victoria scans, ruling him out of both the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup. He made a solid return with a third-place finish in the Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m), albeit nearly four lengths behind the triumphant Autumn Glow, who narrowly held off Aeliana by a long neck in that event.
However, with the distance extended to 2000m for the Ranvet Stakes, and Autumn Glow competing in the 1500m George Ryder Stakes (where she is the hot $1.30 favourite), Aeliana is expected to be the star attraction in the six-horse field. This race presents a prime opportunity for her to secure her first Group 1 victory since her dominant performance in last year’s ATC Derby.
Bott, who partners with the legendary Gai Waterhouse, anticipates Sir Delius will offer a stronger challenge on Saturday. However, he also indicated that the gelding’s ultimate target might be the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on April 11th.
“The mile was a bit short of his best, but he’s out to his best trip now and he’s shown the necessary improvement and is ready to see him bounce back,” Bott explained. “He ran excellent for where he’s at. We’re obviously gearing towards the Queen Elizabeth and he’s had to have a while off and a shorter lead into some of these targets. He’s got improvement to come. I thought it was a great, honest run from him first-up. Aeliana was brilliant and if she maintains that form, it’s going to be awfully hard to turn the tables again. He’s going to need to be at his best, where he was at in the spring, to be beating her. But he’s going the right way. He’s improving and he looks in good shape.”
While Waller also has strong contenders in the Rosehill Guineas with Autumn Boy and three promising runners in the Golden Slipper, he was particularly enthusiastic about Aeliana’s prospects.
“She’s on the undercard, but you could say she could headline the day because she’s ready to peak,” Waller commented. “It’s been well known that she’s an immature horse that’s now flourished and furnished into a mature mare, and she’s ready to make her own headlines. She’s been placed behind Autumn Glow in her first two runs this preparation. She was narrowly defeated by Via Sistina back in the spring. Via Sistina’s retired, so it’s Aeliana’s time to shine. She’s not running against Autumn Glow. It’s a good field, as it is the whole day across five Group 1s on Saturday, and Aeliana, I think, is close to our best chance.”
Slipper Aspirations for Waterhouse/Bott Team
From the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable, the Gimcrack winner Shiki represents their sole runner in the Golden Slipper. Currently considered an $81 outsider, Shiki finished fifth in the Silver Slipper. The stable also has Agrarian Girl as the first emergency.
Bott expressed optimism about Shiki’s chances, noting their efforts to freshen her up for the prestigious two-year-old classic. “She’s an incredibly tough filly, she’s been up a long time,” Bott said. “She was there in the Gimcrack Stakes, she’s campaigned through Queensland and she’s had the lead-up run here. She needs everything to go her way and we’ve been making a few excuses for her, her last two starts, but they have been genuine excuses. No doubt she’s got the ability. She’s got amazing acceleration and turn of foot. We are learning more about her every time she steps out, and we’ve kept her deliberately fresh for this race. She’s quite fit. She’s got a lot of natural brilliance, so we don’t need to sort of overcomplicate things with her. She does go well on the fresher side of things and just sort of mix up her training, keep her interested and she seems to be responding nicely.”
Farewell to a Champion: Arapaho Retired
In other racing news, one of last autumn’s standout performers, Arapaho, has been officially retired from racing. The announcement came on Thursday after the nine-year-old participated in an exhibition gallop between races at the Wyong meeting on Wednesday.
Trainer Bjorn Baker informed racing officials of the decision. The imported stayer enjoyed a decorated career, securing two Group 1 victories, including last year’s Sydney Cup. He amassed over $4.3 million in prizemoney throughout his career. Rachel King, who partnered Arapaho to his Sydney Cup triumph, was in the saddle during his final gallop alongside stablemate Overpass.
