Gollan has a lucky charm
TRAINER Tony Gollan is considering using a secret weapon as he prepares for the biggest day of his career with Ef Troop in the Group One Golden Slipper at Rosehill.
Gollan was in Sydney on Saturday morning to supervise trackwork for his two-yearolds Ef Troop and Outback Barbie before this week’s big Rosehill meeting.
Replacement jockey Jason Collett had his first feel of Ef Troop who impressed Gollan with his work. Collett replaces the suspended Corey Brown on Ef Troop who was second to Aylmerton in the Group Two Todman Stakes at his most recent start.
“It was good to get Jason on him and the work was good. It looks all go for the Slipper,” Gollan said.
Outback Barbie is outside the top 20 for the Slipper which has a capacity field of 16 plus four emergencies and is likely to run in the Percy Sykes Stakes in three weeks.
“She worked earlier in the morning with one of Peter and Paul Snowden’s colts and went really well. But it looks as though she will miss the Slipper,” Gollan said.
He returned to the Gold Coast where he watched Raido win the Listed Goldmarket. And that is where the good luck charm came into play as his wife Jane and young daughter Jamieson arrived just before the Goldmarket.
“We were having a pretty ordinary day but then Jamie got here and our luck changed. Whenever she comes to the races we seem to have luck,” Gollan said.
“Maybe she should be there on Slipper day?”
Ef Troop was a $15 chance yesterday, ahead of the declaration of the final field and barrier draw today.
The draw and wet weather,
IT LOOKS ALL GO FOR THE SLIPPER TRAINER TONY GOLLAN
the two intangibles trainers and jockeys have no control, could turn the $3.5 million Golden Slipper betting upside down.
Sunlight retains favouritism at $3.50 with Ladbrokes for the glamour juvenile race ahead of the crucial Slipper barrier draw from 11am.
Sydney is also forecast to receive some steady rain of up to 10mm most days for the rest of the week, almost certainly ensuring a wet-track surface for Rosehill Gardens on Slipper Day.