Brilliant first up winner Santos is looking to cement a spot in the 2018 Golden Slipper when he lines up in the Group 2 $200,000 Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Santos, above, is among the nominations for the 2018 Skyline Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Santos is one of fourteen two year old colts and geldings among the nominations for the Skyline Stakes that acts a very important lead up race to the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on March 24.
Co-trainer Gai Waterhouse said that Santos was always going to be the stable’s top Golden Slipper hope and he looked the goods with a very impressive first up win in the $150,000 Pierro Plate (1100m) at Randwick on February 17.
Waterhouse has won the Golden Slipper on six previous occasions but is looking for her first victory with new co-trainer Adrian Bott.
“This has been our Golden Slipper horse since day one,” Waterhouse said.
“He was very immature in the Spring. He was still coming together. He has furnished into a really beautiful colt.”
“This horse is such an exciting horse, he is lyrical, absolutely lyrical.”
Santos beat Exceltic by two and a half lengths in the Pierro Plate and the two colts look likely to clash again in the Skyline Stakes.
Trainer Gary Portelli is looking for back to back wins in the Golden Slipper with Exceltic after winning last year with his smart filly She Will Reign.
Sunshine Coast trained Stuart Kendrick is set to venture south to Sydney with Fullazaboot who is among the nominations for the Skyline Stakes.
Fullazaboot showed that he had plenty of quality when he made up many lengths from the back to run second to Golden Slipper equal favourite Sunlight in the $2m Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on January 13.
Nominations for the Skyline Stakes have been extended until 11am on Tuesday, February 27 with the final field being released on Wednesday morning, February 28.
Early betting for the 2018 Skyline Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.30 Santos, $8 Legend Of Condor, Sandbar, Spin, $11 Fullazaboot, Irish Bet, Oxford Tycoon, $15 Exceltic, Osorno, Tchaikovsky, Zousain, $26 Ringerdingding, $51 Only Wanna Sing, Toulouse.
Nominations for the 2018 Skyline Stakes (1200m)
| # | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 32 | EXCELTIC | C | 2 | Gary Portelli |
| 2 | 122 | FULLAZABOOT | C | 2 | Stuart Kendrick |
| 3 | 1×3 | IRISH BET | C | 2 | John O’Shea |
| 4 | 1×4 | LEGEND OF CONDOR | C | 2 | Gerald Ryan |
| 5 | 25×1 | ONLY WANNA SING | G | 2 | Robert Heathcote |
| 6 | 5×34 | OSORNO | C | 2 | James Cummings |
| 7 | 3 | OXFORD TYCOON | C | 2 | Kim Waugh |
| 8 | – | RINGERDINGDING | C | 2 | Edward O’Rourke |
| 9 | 11 | SANDBAR | C | 2 | Brad Widdup |
| 10 | 34×1 | SANTOS | C | 2 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
| 11 | 42x | SPIN | C | 2 | Peter & Paul Snowden |
| 12 | 5 | TCHAIKOVSKY | C | 2 | Peter & Paul Snowden |
| 13 | 3×6 | TOULOUSE | C | 2 | David Payne |
| 14 | 1 | ZOUSAIN | C | 2 | Chris Waller |
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