The Slipper hoodoo: How will Capitalist fare?

Magic Millions and Golden Slipper winner Capitalist will be back this weekend in a bold showing for a colt, taking on the open class of the Missile Stakes at Randwick.

The Millions/Slipper double is an incredible feat for a two-year old horse. Only three have done it since the Magic Millions was an open affair.

The first was Dance Hero, back in 2004. Chris Munch was the jockey on board for both of those runs, and told The Roar in a column that horse was one of the best he’d ever ridden.

Massively underrated, Munce assured Roar readers that we’ll never see a two-year old like him again. In the Slipper alone, a field of very good horses were put away by the horse with a face a mother wouldn’t love.

Here’s the quote:

“Dance Hero beat half a dozen Group 1 winners, with those behind him including champion and super stallion Fastnet Rock, super-mare and four-time Group 1 winner Alinghi, who remains, in Damien Oliver’s opinion, the best two-year-old he has ever ridden, plus Stakes and open Group 1 winner Charge Forward. Fifth was Tahni Girl, which won a Group 3 and two Stakes races, and the list goes on.

Even the horse in tenth, Econsul, went on to win the Caulfield Guineas later that year.

It was a freakish race.”

Dance Hero went on to win a number of races as a three-year old, but his two-year old season resume reads like none other.

The second Millions-Slipper double goes to old Phelan Ready, who managed to score $3.7 million in prize money for just four career wins. He was a $51 shot in the Magic Millions, and won by just under half a length in a great finish. He then beat the much more fancied Headway and Manhattan Rain by more than two-lengths at $26.

He then, quite famously, didn’t win a race for more than five years. He was never disgraced in 59 starts, with 45 of those at Stakes level or better, but only won two other races before he was retired.

The only other horse to win the Millions and the Slipper is Capitalist, who’s already amassed a handy $3.5 million in prizemoney from five starts, and four wins.

In answering the question of what now for the son of Written Tycoon, he’s entered in the Missile Stakes this Saturday, as well as the Caulfield Guineas on October 8th.

As a two-year old with a precocious streak, his value at stud is already significant. If he can win three-year old race – maybe even a Guineas – he’ll be worth an absolute fortune.

The problem is the hoodoo. The last three Slipper winners haven’t managed another win. There’s no cut and dried reason for this – Vancouver was a superb two-year old – unbeaten in four starts – before he failed to trouble the winners circle as a three-year old in Australia.

He was sent to the UK with Aidan O’Brien – with the Irish trainer reckoning this was the best horse he’s even been sent from Australia – and that list includes So You Think!

“The fellow is by far and away the best horse we’ve had from Australia,” O’Brien said in Coolmore video release. “He ticks all the boxes and he’s probably the most exciting we’ve had.”

Sadly, Vancouver never made the track with O’Brien due to “unsatisfactory bloodwork” and was sent back to Coolmore Australia for stud duties.

2014 Golden Slipper winner Mossfun contracted a virus which diminished her performances after a spell, while 2013 Slipper winner Overreach looked promising in her return as a three-year old before being cut down by injuries.

Capitalist and the Missile Stakes

Capitalist will take on the Missile over 1200m, with six other in the race. Historically, it’s a race rarely taken on by three-year olds. Dance Hero won in 2005, but was days away from his birthday as a four-year old.

It’s wonderful to see Capitalist back on the track and taking on an open class – it should be applauded when so easily the horse could’ve run in restricted races.

At 51.5kgs on the weight-for-age scale, the job for Capitalist against the field of proven runners is somewhat easier.

Although spring by racing definition, and perhaps optimistic in more accurate description, a small but decent field will contest the race.

The Peter and Paul Snowden trained colt will take on the ever-consistent Group 1 performer Rebel Dane, Ramornie runner-up Big Money, and Godolphin’s Generalife – and those four are the clear chances in the race.

Capitalist is a big chance at the weights, should he return in order. A trial win last Friday showed that seems to be the case, winning well.

Bookies line him up as short as $1.60. Rebel Dane will carry 58.5kgs, seven kilograms more, as will all the other horses in the field apart from Tycoon Tara, carrying 56.5kg with the mares allowance as a $26 chance.

Kerrin McEvoy is stripping down to an uncomfortable weight for him to ride the colt which is just another indication of what’s hoped.

The only problem might be the track – rated a Heavy 8 and with possible showers and a winter sun not likely to dry out the track, it’ll be his first wet track to prove himself.

Will we see Capitalist at his flying best? He looks the best chance to break the Slipper hoodoo since Pierro. While Rebel Dane at his best is Group 1 level, the Snowden team will be hoping for a win here.