Chris Waller is maintaining a steady approach to Wodeton’s Golden Slipper campaign, despite the fact that the Todman Stakes is a crucial test for the young colt.

Owned by Coolmore, the juvenile remains among the top contenders for the Slipper, even after his last-start third-place finish at Rosehill. The colt faced challenges, being caught wide and positioned worse than midfield due to an outside barrier.

Although the result in the Silver Slipper (1100m) wasn’t ideal, Waller has taken positives from the performance, believing the experience will benefit the horse in the long run.

“Whether he won or not, it was experience,” Waller said.

“He was exposed, he was three-deep, he was out of his comfort zone covering extra ground on a tight-turning track and that’s what you’ll get in a Slipper.

“It’s just about seasoning him for the Golden Slipper.”

Currently sitting just outside the Golden Slipper field in the order of entry, Wodeton requires a top-two finish in Saturday’s Todman Stakes (1200m) to guarantee his place in the prestigious race.

Despite the high stakes, Waller remains pragmatic, emphasizing that Wodeton needs to perform at that level regardless to justify his place in the March 22 event.

“If he doesn’t win or run second, he wouldn’t be going to a Golden Slipper,” he said.

“I’m not running him to qualify him. I’m running him to prepare him for the Golden Slipper.”

The Todman Stakes features a quality field, including Wodeton’s previous race winner Beiwacht, Golden Gift champion North England, and Blue Diamond Stakes placegetters Tentyris and Tycoon Star, both making their Sydney racing debut.

Meanwhile, the Reisling Stakes (1200m) for fillies has drawn a field of 12, headlined by Gimcrack Stakes winner Bel Merci and Godolphin’s Tempted.

The winners of both two-year-old races will earn exemption from the ballot for the 2025 Golden Slipper.