In the past week we’ve seen two cracking colts make outstanding winning debuts in non-Black Type races which has everyone wondering if they have time to get into the big races this autumn and in particularly the Golden Slipper, so we’ve gone looking to see how it can be done.
When the John O’Shea trained Not a Single Doubt colt Café Millenium went to Randwick last Saturday the talk was all about Don Corleone, but coming out of the race there was only one colt to follow and it’s the winner Café Millenium.
Cafe Millenium wins at Randwick - image Steve Hart
Gary Portelli unearthed an exciting debut winner at Randwick on Wednesday in Extreme Spirit and straight away the pundits were questioning what next for the Extreme Choice colt and is it possible for him to get to a Golden Slipper?
The answer to that is yes as She’s Extreme proved last year.
By the same sire in Extreme Choice, She’s Extreme made her debut at the corresponding meeting last year on February 16th, although she didn’t win and came in fourth.
It was a good fourth though and enough for Anthony Cummings to aim high so she ran second in the Sweet Embrace, won the Magic Night and then earned a shot at the Golden Slipper to finish seventh.
That wasn’t the end for She’s Extreme as she was second in the Group I Sires Produce and then spoiled the Fireburn party when winning the Group I ATC Champagne Stakes.
She's Extreme wins the G1 Champagne stakes - image Steve Hart
Just for good measure she came back in the spring and won the Group I VRC Oaks over 2500m, so that does make you wonder if some trainers don’t aim high enough!
Extreme Choice had the Golden Slipper winner in 2021 when Stay Inside beat Anamoe. He made a winning debut on January 23 at Randwick, then won the Pierro Plate before finishing an unlucky fourth in the Todman Stakes and when he won the Golden Slipper it was his first stakes win.
It was also his last win as he started only two more times finishing unplaced on both occasions at three.
Snitzel filly Estijaab was another to win the Golden Slipper on one preparation winning on debut at Randwick on January 20 before finishing second in the Silver Slipper. She then won the Reisling and the Golden Slipper.
She defeated Oohood and Sunlight that day and while both went on to win Group I races at three, Estijaab never won another race.
Looking back a little further, Forensics was another high class filly to win the Golden Slipper on a short preparation. She won her debut at Canterbury on February 9, then beat I Am Invincible in the Kindergarten Stakes and finished fourth in the Reisling Stakes before winning her Slipper.
Manhattan Rain, who won the Group I ATC Sires Produce Stakes made his debut on January31 and finished second at Rosehill and then was second again in the Canonbury Stakes before winning the Skyline.
He contested all three legs of the Triple Crown placing in the Golden Slipper and Champagne Stakes and winning the Sires. While he never won again, Manhattan Rain was second to So You Think in the Cox Plate and was probably a lot better horse than he got credit for being.
Yosei ended her career as a triple Group I winner, but started her Group I tally in the Sires’ Produce Stakes and she arrived there off an interesting path. She won a Benalla maiden on February 16 and then placed in the SA Breeders Stakes and VRC Sires Produce Stakes before coming to Sydney where she ran fourth in the Reisling.
She was a long shot when she won her Sires Produce Stakes but wins in the Thousand Guineas and Tatts Tiara at three proved she was seriously top class!
The Group I ATC Champagne Stakes is often a good race for a late arrival on the juvenile scene and Pasadena Girl was one of those winning the Talindert Stakes in Melbourne on debut on February 21. She won her next start in the Thoroughbred Breeder Stakes and was fourth in the Sires Produce Stakes before winning the Champagne at start four.
Go Indy Go kicked off even later making her debut on March 10 with a second in the Cinderella Stakes and then a second in the SA Breeders Stakes before winning the SA Sires Produce Stakes and again the Champagne Stakes at start four.
If you’re a fan of either Café Millenium or Extreme Spirit there is no reason to think they can’t get to where they would like to be, but it’s a question of ability and constitution.
The first attribute they appear to have, the second remains to be seen.
