Slipper picture sharpens as Spicy Miss and Campione D’Italia strike at Randwick
Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) aspirations crystallised at Randwick on Saturday as Spicy Miss (Trapeze Artist) and Campione D’Italia (Snitzel) claimed their respective Group 2 races, each earning a coveted berth in the $5 million juvenile feature.
Spicy Miss took the stage first and kicked off her trainer Ciaron Maher’s fantastic afternoon when she produced a determined display to break her maiden in the $300,000 Sweet Embrace Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m).
The flashy daughter of Trapeze Artist (Snitzel) had filled the runner-up position at both her previous outings – in the $1 million Golden Gift (1100m) on debut during the spring and first-up in February’s Lonhro Plate (Listed, 1000m) behind Agrarian Girl (Tassort).
Stepping up to 1200 metres on Saturday, the filly was ridden positively by Zac Lloyd and travelled sweetly on the speed before surging to the lead inside the final furlong. She dug deep to deny Screen Icon (Nicconi), who finished well from the back, by 0.4 lengths. By Choice (Written By) stuck on gamely for third, another 0.7 lengths adrift. The result was a trifecta for Widden Stud sires.
Lloyd believes Spicy Miss’ attitude will serve her well in the Golden Slipper, for which she firmed into a $15 chance after her first win.
“She ran very well first-up, but both Ciaron and the owners alluded to the fact that she’d improve off the run and they were exactly right. She dug deep today and I think the 1200 metres was a good step for her,” the winning rider said.
“She definitely does [feel like a Golden Slipper horse]. I think her mentality and her will to win is going to take her a long way. She’s good out of the machine, she does everything right, so that’s going to really help her in a high-pressure race like the Golden Slipper.”
Maher said the filly had strengthened significantly since her debut campaign and would head straight to Rosehill in three weeks.
“She’s always shown that sort of ability,” the winning trainer said. “The Darby team has found another one. 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.”
A $150,000 Magic Millions purchase for Darby Racing from Widden Stud’s draft, Spicy Miss is the first winner out of the imported Street Boss (Street Cry) mare Sweet Gisel and was bred by the Vieira Group.
In winning Saturday’s race, she took Trapeze Artist’s record of individual stakes winners to 11, which soon became 12 when three-year-old gelding The Crimson Pirate completed a stakes double for the Widden resident in the Lex Piper Stakes (Listed, 1600m) at Ascot. Trapeze Artist served 52 mares at a reduced fee of $33,000 (inc GST) in the spring.
The next at Randwick was the turn of the colts and saw Campione D’Italia propel his name into Slipper calculations with a boilover victory in the $300,000 Skyline Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m).
The Chris Waller-trained son of Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) had been well-fancied on debut in the Lonhro Plate but finished unplaced.
Sent out a $41 chance on Saturday, he settled just off the speed under Tommy Berry before charging down the outside in the home straight to narrowly prevail in a blanket finish, with less than a half-length separating the first four.
His fast-finishing stablemate Central Europe (Frankel) was a 0.1-length second, with the same margin separating him from the third-placed Star Of Jamaica (Profiteer). Favourite Warwoven (Sword Of State) was 0.3 lengths further behind in fourth, but remains the $6 favourite for the Golden Slipper despite tasting defeat for the first time on Saturday. Campione D’Italia meanwhile moved into $15 (from $51) for the Group 1 feature.
“He’s always shown promise, which is why we’ve thrown him in the deep end,” Waller said of the winner. “We didn’t back off when he did a few things wrong [first time out]. We went back to the trials and worked on getting him to relax.
“He’s very competitive – when the gates open he wants to get to the bend first. We’re teaching him to get to the winning post first. The Golden Slipper should suit because there’ll be genuine speed.”
Waller was also full of praise for debutant Central Europe, indicating the Frankel (Galileo) colt out of Champion 2YO Filly Tiggy Wiggy (Kodiac) would head to the Pago Pago Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Rosehill on March 14 in a bid to confirm his Slipper place. He moved into $9 (from $18) for the March 21 contest after his promising showing.
A $500,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase for China Horse Club, Newgate Bloodstock and partners from Baramul Stud’s draft, Campione D’Italia was bred by Gerry Harvey out of Medaglia Valore (Medaglia D’Oro), a winning half-sister to the dam of dual Group 3 winner Espionage (Zoustar).
His win provided the late Snitzel with his 168th individual stakes winner, further extending the legacy of Arrowfield Stud’s champion sire.