Golden Slipper winners since 2000 generally fit a fairly similar profile in terms of pedigree, so let’s take a look and see what we can find from a pedigree perspective in what has to be one of the most open Golden Slippers in years – are they all really good or all really average? - time will tell.
1/ Tagaloa
Japanese blood top and bottom is all first class, but fits no proven profile for success in this race. Shuttle sires and imported mares have both produced Slipper winners, but never in the same horse in the past 20 years.
2/ Hanseatic
His shuttle sire is top class and female pedigree more than fits the profile, three of first four dams by Exceed and Excel, Snippets and Vain, that says juvenile speed, add in the fact this is the Black Caviar family with third dam being Scandinavia and you can see why this horse will have some serious stallion potential in the future.
3/ Farnan
By noted 2YO speed sire Not a Single Doubt and has a double cross of Danehill 3 x 4, but that looks well balanced by dam sire Street Cry and further back in the pedigree we find fourth fam Salamore by Vain, nothing not to like here.
4/ Prague
By champion sire Redoute’s Choice, who has sired two Slipper winners in the past 20 and is grand-sire of another two and great grand-sire of one, while the direct male Danehill sireline has accounted for nine in total. Traces to champion mare Emancipation (his fourth dam) , who has spawned an impressive dynasty of stakes-winners and a Golden Slipper winner would be icing on the cake.
5/ King’s Legacy
Another colt by champion sire Redoute’s Choice and this one closely related to leading sire Not a Single Doubt from the famed Easy Date family that has already produced 2007 Golden Slipper winner Forensics. Hussonet and Sunday Silence bring some diversity into pedigree and next dam is by Slipper winner Rory’s Jester, love this page!
7/Mamaragan
His sire Wandjina was a Group I miler by Snitzel from a female family with plenty of speed and dam is by a fast sire in General Nediym, but further back it’s a Kiwi family that has excelled over longer trips. Older seemingly ‘unfashionable’ Kiwi families have produced Slipper winners Dance Hero, Polar Success and Belle du Jour, so there is a precedent for success.
8/ Away Game
By proven Slipper winning sire Snitzel, sire of 2018 winner Estijaab, and dam is by Elusive Quality, who sired a Slipper winner in Sepoy. Again goes back to some stouter Kiwi blood, so she ticks the boxes.
9/ Dame Giselle
By a champion 2YO sire in I Am Invincible, who is overdue to sire a Slipper winner and dam is another of these Kiwi bred mares that often bring toughness into a pedigree. If there is one thing a Golden Slipper contender needs other than speed, it’s toughness just to survive the process of getting into the race.
10/ See You Soon
Conceieved in France, she's another runner with an imported pedigree top and bottom. Siyouni is a champion French 2YO sire and this female family has had notable success in Australasia producing Group I winning fillies King’s Rose and Anabandana, a Champion 2YO in New Zealand.
11/ Mildred
By ill-fated Hinchinbrook, the three-quarter brother by Fastnet Rock to Snitzel, that was underestimated earlier in his career, but has put together a very good record that includes a couple of G1 winning 2YO’s albeit no Slipper winner. Female side of the pedigree is very tough and very fast, so no negatives for Mildred.
12 / Personal
Fastnet Rock has sired the winners of most Group I races, but never a Slipper, although on pedigree Personal would give him a great chance to amend that anomaly. She’s bred on one of the most successful nicks in the world between Fastnet Rock and Galileo and has loads of Aussie speed back further in her family including Century, Vain and Todman. I loved her before the barrier draw, but gate 19 has taken the wind from my sails!
13/ Muntaseera
Another by I Am Invincible and first two dams by champion sires Redoute’s Choice and Encosta de Lago has to be a big positive. Add in a double cross of Golden Slipper winner Canny Lad 3 x 4 and she’s turned out talented as her pedigree would suggest.
14 / Hungry Heart
Conceived in the UK, she’s by one of the world’s best sires in Frankel, but international blood top and bottom again is no profile for success in this race that is about juvenile speed. Frankel is yet to sire a Group I winner at 1200m.
16/ Thermosphere
Her sire Exosphere finished last in a Golden Slipper suffering cardiac arrhythmia, but was certainly bred to be in it being by Lonhro with his first two dams by Slipper winners Danzero and Marscay, so not entirely surprising that he is the only first season sire with a runner. Dam by another Slipper winner in Canny Lad also a plus.
17/ Rathlin
Another by Fastnet Rock and this one from a half-sister by More Than Ready to Snitzel, so there’s plenty of juvenile speed here and More Than Ready a well proven Slipper influence having sired two winners in Phelan Ready and Sebring.
18/ Minhaaj
Only runner in the race this year for Exceed and Excel, who has sired a Golden Slipper winner in Overreach that is closely related to this filly being from the same female family. Bred on very successful Exceed and Excel x Lonhro cross and like Farnan has a double cross of Danehill 2 x 4.
