2017 Todman Stakes Field Features Golden Slipper Stakes Hopes

A host of top Golden Slipper Stakes bound colts and geldings will face off in the Todman Stakes 2017 field this Saturday in Sydney including the Gerald Ryan-trained duo of Menari and Chauffeur.

Gerald Ryan will saddle-up Golden Slipper Stakes hopes Menari and Chauffeur in the 2017 Todman Stakes field this weekend. Photo: Daniel Costello.

While the fillies’ race – the Reisling Stakes – drew just nine final acceptors due to the inclusion of the clear Golden Slipper Stakes favourite She Will Reign, there are 14 colts and geldings in the mix for the $300,000 Group 2 UNSW Todman Stakes (1200m).

Set to run as Royal Randwick Guineas Day Race 2 at 1:05pm (AEDT), the Todman Stakes offers a ballot free ride to the winner into the $3.5 million Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 18.

That is the major autumn goal for the two Ryan runners in the Todman this weekend, Menari and Chauffeur drawn at opposite ends of the field in barriers two and 10 respectively.

Due to be ridden by Tim Clark from the gun gate, Snitzel colt Menari currently occupies the second line of all-in Golden Slipper Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $8 – equal with the Magic Millions 2YO Classic winning filly Houtzen.

He won at Randwick by two lengths on debut before the nice Rosehill second to subsequent Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes runner-up Pariah in the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on January 28.

Menari has won a subsequent trial at Rosehill on February 27, blitzing the 900m hit-out by five and a half lengths on a Heavy (8) track that bodes well with similar conditions set for Randwick on the weekend.

Chauffeur meanwhile is currently paying $15 to hand Ryan his first Golden Slipper Stakes win.

Joshua Parr retains the ride on the fellow son of Snitzel in the Todman Stakes on Saturday after riding Chauffeur for all three of his career starts to date.

The up-and-coming colt was last seen finishing a half-length second to Houtzen in the $2 million Magic Millions race over 1200m at the Gold Coast in mid-January.

Drawn well in barrier four for John O’Shea is the consistent Veranillo, a black-type Randwick winner on debut before the last start second to She Will Reign in the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m).

O’Shea and the Godolphin stable have also accepted for Trekking (barrier 12), the Street Cry colt racing for the first time since a Rosehill win over 1100m back in early December.

The outside alley (14) belongs to the Lindsay Park-trained Muraaqeb whose only run to date produced a Moonee Valley win over 1000m on February 17, while the also undefeated Jukebox has drawn gate three.

Luke Nolen is down to ride the Ciaron Maher-trained Jukebox who was scratched from last weekend’s Blue Diamond Stakes field in Melbourne.

He chases a third straight win in his delayed run on the weekend on the back of the two length 1200m Inglis win at Caulfield on February 2.

Khan is the other key contender, although Peter & Paul Snowden could scratch him from the race in favour of a Group 3 Black Opal Stakes run in Canberra on Sunday.

See below for the full Todman Stakes 2017 field, barriers and jockeys before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au for the best weekend racing odds and early futures pricing on the Golden Slipper Stakes entries.

2017 Todman Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Randwick Race 2 (1:05pm) – 04/03/2017