A dominant win by Sunlight in today’s Group 3 $175,000 Canadian Club Magic Night Stakes (1200m) has seen the filly cement her spot as the favourite for the 2018 Golden Slipper Stakes.
Bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au have wound Sunlight in from $4 to $3.60 for the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill next Saturday ahead of the Chris Waller trainer Performer at $6.50.
Melbourne based jockey Luke Currie had Sunlight ($1.35) settled in the lead after the filly was first out of the barriers and after holding out Setsuna in the middle stages, was untroubled in the straight to score a comfortable win over the James Cummings trained Cristobal ($14) and Sweet Ava ($13).
Trainer Tony McEvoy said that Sunlight needed today’s run to bring her up to top condition for the Golden Slipper Stakes and added that the Zoustar filly has the toughness to handle the week to week to back up.
“I factored this race into her preparation like we did at the (Gold) Coast and I thought she just probably levelled late but that is okay,” McEvoy said.
“That is the gallop she needed and that will bring her on for next week.”
“She pinged the gates, controlled the race. Got softened a bit in the mid stages. But the thing we have come to learn about this filly is she is tough.”
“She is a beauty and we just have to hold her together now for the next seven days and it is very very exciting for us.”
McEvoy is expecting that Sunlight will now have an easy week in the lead up to the Golden Slipper Stakes in seven days.
“I’ll know in a moment when I see her whether I have to do some more with her this week. But I think she can just cruise and have fun and be fit and fresh for next Saturday.”
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