Chayan an unlikely Golden Slipper starter is now an outright favourite to claim Australia’s premier 2yo event

To say Chayan would have been a surprise Group 1 $5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) favourite three months ago is an understatement. In fact, to even see her in the race is a major surprise given co-trainer Annabel Archibald’s summation of her at the end of last year. “She had an unofficial jump-out at Christmas and I said to Eric Koh, her owner, ‘she will probably just have this jump out and go out’ because mentally, she was a little bit hot,” Archibald said. “But she jumped out really well and really relaxed after that. She started mentally going the right way. “We sent her down to Melbourne and she had those couple of runs there, and I think that has held her in really good stead.” Following her first trial at Warwick Farm on January 9 when she was beaten into a three-and-a-half-length sixth place, the I Am Invincible filly travelled to Melbourne a month later to finish second to Streisand in the Blue Diamond Prelude as a 50/1 shot. She commanded greater respect two weeks later when going off 17/1 but was trapped wide without cover and could get no closer than two and three-quarter lengths from her prelude vanquisher in Caulfield’s Blue Diamond. “I couldn’t be any happier with her. She started her campaign off in Melbourne and didn’t have much luck with the draws down there, but ran really well,” she said. A further fortnight on, the bay returned to Sydney and annihilated her Reisling Stakes rivals, roaring to a three-length triumph at Randwick. “It was pleasing to see her come up here and put it all together,” Archibald said. “All of the ratings guys said she ran really good time, and the figures were good, and that’s all we can ask for as a last start heading into this race.” That dominant performance has her rated as the form runner of the Slipper and despite being attractively priced at $5.50, she’s still clearly the favourite. Zac Lloyd takes over riding responsibilities for Guest House ($8.50), who shares the second line of betting with Streisand despite finishing third behind her in the Blue Diamond. “I was happy with the Blue Diamond run,” Guest House’s trainer Mick Price told ANZ News. “Whilst he got a little bit wrong and he had to zig zag in the straight, I still thought he ran very well. He might not have been smoking up, but he was still finding the line at the finish. “He’s a big horse and it did take him a while to get going, and that’s the thing about him. The Slipper’s a big, open, 1200m race and there’s usually speed on – they don’t usually sit up – and I think that part will suit him. “He needs to do things correctly, to bounce out and put himself in a reasonable position. He’s not the quickest out of the barriers, but hopefully he can muster up and find a good position after 400 or 500m, and when they get to that corner, hopefully he’s found a good position.” Interestingly, the three favourites have all drawn alongside one another. Chayan (12) will be outside both Guest House (10) and Streisand (11), with the latter’s trainer Clint McDonald bullish that he can get the measure of the other two. “She’s in great shape. She travelled up beautifully, hasn’t missed a beat,” McDonald told SEN. “Our biggest concern is getting them there in one piece. We feel that we have. “I feel that she’s improved again this filly, as probably most trainers going into the race do. “I feel that she’s the best filly in the land at the moment and I think she’s nearly proven to be the best two-year-old. “She’s been to every big race, she’s been competitive. She was beaten a short half-head in two races in the spring; she’s come back and won the Blue Diamond well when she sat wide and was too strong for them. Despite coming for her first clockwise start, McDonald says that’s no worry. “I think the pressure won’t be a problem. The Sydney way of going has never been a concern because she was broken in up here,” he said. “When we worked her first time the Sydney way this preparation, it was very natural for her. It hasn’t even been on the radar as a concern. “She’s proven herself to handle the pressure. She can go forward, back, wet, dry. She’s the one in the race who’s proven herself the whole way through and never put in a poor performance.” Closer To Free ($9), who finished second in the Blue Diamond, and Pago Pago winner Warwoven ($9.50) round out those at single-digit odds. + In Perth, Bonjoy ($3.60f) caught the eye with her ripping last-to-first sprint to take the Bunbury Stakes last start and is favourite to repeat that success in Saturday’s Listed $125,000 Grandstand Cup (1500m). She ambushed rivals to claim that feature but now moves out to gate 12 and is up two kilos to 56.5kg. Essentric Nature ($4.20) rises to a new challenge after being beaten over the same course and distance on Bonjoy’s big afternoon in lesser company. Fast Flicker ($5.50) looked destined to salute in the Bunbury Stakes after forging clear in the late part but was overhauled in the dying strides, while Elite Missile ($6.50) was a further length and a half astern. Earlier in the programme, Oscar’s Fortune ($2.40f) can press for a position in The Quokka should he prevail in the $100,000 Rock Magic Stakes (1000m). Just off them in both the Winterbottom and Gold Rush, Dion Luciani’s five-year-old resumes but will face opposition from Almighty Class ($3), who devastated with his victory in the Cyril Flower Stakes last month. Aurum Belle ($2.05f) and He’s A Machino ($2.45) are in contention for the best WA two-year-olds of their respective sexes and will do battle in the Listed $125,000 Supremacy Stakes (1000m). Aurum Belle, an expensive $725,000 yearling purchase, demolished her opponents in her debut outing last month when leading throughout and is among top prospects for April’s Karrakatta Plate. He’s A Machino ($2.45) was similarly stylish when taking his debut start in December and warmed up for this with a comprehensive Lark Hill trial glory last Monday week, scoring by three and a half lengths. So far, Neville Parnham – trainer of Aurum Belle – is serving up stiffest response to the unstoppable emergence of juveniles from the Sean and Jake Casey stable, who are the conditioners of He’s A Machino and several other top two-year-olds.