Blinkered view to Alpine Slipper bid
GOLD Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic runner-up Alpine Edge will wear blinkers in his Golden Slipper campaign, which will ramp up with a hitout on his home track next Tuesday.
Three-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Glen Boss is in the frame to ride Alpine Edge in the Slipper and when the colt is next seen at the races in the Group 2 Todman Stakes at Randwick on March 6.
Toby and Trent Edmond-strained Alpine Edge was slow to begin in the 2YO Classic in January before surging home to finish just over a length behind winner Shaquero.
Alpine Edge has enough prizemoney to qualify for the Golden Slipper even though the cheque from his Magic Millions finish doesn’t count for Golden Slipper spots.
Trent Edmonds, who feels Alpine Edge would have strongly challenged the Magic Millions winner if not for missing the kick, said the colt would race in the Todman Stakes as a prelude to his Golden Slipper grand final a fortnight later.
But first, Alpine Edge will blow out the cobwebs in a 900m jumpout, which will also feature stablemate Vanna Girl, on the Gold Coast next Tuesday.
“He has been working in blinkers and they haven’t made a huge amount of difference as he is such a laid-back dude, but he will wear them in the Todman and the Slipper to hopefully make that turn of foot he has even a bit sharper,” Trent Edmonds said.
“It is a bit unknown how the Magic Millions form will stack up going into the Slipper but we are taking a punt he will race well in it. If he didn’t miss the kick like he did in the Magic Millions, who knows, you could make a case he would have challenged the winner.”
Shaquero appears set to race in either the Todman or the Group 2 Skyline Stakes a week earlier to nail a Golden Slipper spot.
Meanwhile, Vanna Girl, a Group 2 winner at last year’s Brisbane Winter Carnival, may have the first start of her next campaign in Queensland.
Team Edmonds has the Queensland winter carnival in mind for her.