The Conglomerate Ruby Slipper
It’s that time of year again where champions come to the forefront and trainers bask in their glory.
April 2008 is a very special time for a select group of trainers hailing from Melbourne, Australia. The Conglomerate Ruby Slipper is here and the fields are looking ever better than last year. As usual, Deyoto, Ladofmanor, Vansheen, Nog and Gilberto will go head to head in a battle for national pride and international respect!
Last year, a horse that some may know took out the final after progressing through the colts prelude in winning form. He went on to conquer all before him including the Breeders Bowl Turf Juvenile and subsequently being crowned sim an Eclipse award. His name is Buck’s Party!
Others to come from the race include triple ungraded stakes winning filly Invincibility, ungraded stakes winning filly Who Is Pan, ungraded stakes placed filly Born Slippy and ungraded stakes placed colt Bloody Invincible.
This year, the rules are the same. There are two preludes for colts and fillies. Each trainer is allowed three colts and three fillies, all with maiden status. Therefore, from the fifteen in each race, the first seven across the line in each prelude progresses through to the final of fourteen.
Lets take look at the trainers best chances:
FILLIES
Deyoto – FLORENTINE DREAM(AUS) (HUSSONET x SEATTLE SLEW x ROBERTO) 5/1
Looks very well bred but may prefer dirt
Vansheen – RETAIL THERAPY(ENG) (DANSILI (GB) x HENNESSY x ROBERTO) 9/1
Looks the pick of his fillies
Nog – PP #5 – FIRE THE GUNS(AUS) (HUSSONET x STORM CAT x DIESIS(GB)) 7/1
Should run very well
Ladofmanor – CHILL(NZ) (ZABEEL(NZ) x BARATHEA(IRE) x SAINT BALLADO) 9/1
Full sister to G1 winning colt Freeze and G3 winning mare Freezing and should prefer the turf.
COLTS
Deyoto – LAST MOHICAN(IRE) ( INVINCIBLE SPIRIT (IRE) x THEATRICAL(IRE) x KINGMAMBO) 7/1
Bred to run turf and Invincible Spirit was on fire last year for Deyoto
Vansheen – SWIPER(KY) ( SPEIGHTSTOWN x SADLER’S WELLS x A.P. INDY) 9/2
Named after his daughter and her habit to grab everything and steal it! Looks as if this colt will run well.
Nog – HERE THE BOSS(AUS) ( REDOUTE’S CHOICE (AUS) x DEHERE x MR. PROSPECTOR) 5/1
By Australia’s boom sire of 2yo’s and a sim elite sire Redoute’s Choice. Greet pedigree and should go well.
Well one thing is for sure. When the crowd crams into Flemington to see both preludes, they sure won’t be disappointed with the quality of horse flesh.
Deyoto Lefranse and his fast talking mouth will be at the track to meet and greet all. He is supremely confident this year as he believes that another Buck’s Party is just around the corner.
Nog will be there, boasting about his special runners and how they will again slip underneath the radar. He is a battler and is still a shadow of his former sim training self. Gone are the days of sim success, now are the days of dreaming about it!
Vansheen will no doubt have on his best ‘get up’ and is another who’s mouth will be working overtime right up until they cross the line…… then silence!
And of course I will be there, Ladofthemanor. As interested as I will be on this prestigious race, my mind will be else where – worried about the 1000 credits I just put up to the trainer who can select the first 5 runners in order in the $1,000,000 G1 Wooden Indian Derby Lock!!!
So come one, come all to see the mouth from the UK that can talk all day (Deyoto Lefranse) hang his head in embarrassment as his supposed ‘gun’ group of 2yo’s take to the track to be nailed by the rest of the Conglomerate!!!