Oakleigh Girl back in running for Golden Slipper Stakes

Magic Millions runner-up Oakleigh Girl is definitely headed to Sydney with a back-up plan in place if she is not ready for the $3.5 million Golden Slipper Stakes.

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Oakleigh Girl went for a spell after finishing second to Unencumbered in the Magic Millions Classic (1200m) on January 11 and was not expected to go on into the autumn.

But she has done so well in the past few weeks that trainer Danny Bougoure has his eyes firmly on the Sydney autumn carnival.

“At this stage we plan to give her two trials in Sydney and then go straight into the Golden Slipper without a lead-up run,” Bougoure said.

“I know that is unusual but there is no suitable lead-up race for her. She goes well fresh and has won both times first-up. If she has two trials she should be spot-on in the Slipper.”

Bougoure said while first-up winners of the Golden Slipper were rare it was not an impossible job.

“I remember Peter Moody telling me if they had been able to start General Nediym first-up in the Slipper he probably would have won,” he said.

Moody was foreman for Bill Mitchell when General Nediym finished fourth to Guineas in the 1997 Slipper two weeks after winning the Todman Trial.

However, Bougoure confirmed the Golden Slipper campaign would have to run smoothly for Oakleigh Girl to take part in the world’s richest two-year-old race.

“If there is one little hiccup we will miss the Slipper. Everything will have to go exactly as planned,” he said.

“Any problems and she will miss the Slipper and head to the Princess Stakes at Randwick two weeks after the Slipper.”

The $500,000 Princess Stakes (1200m) is a Group Three race for two-year-old fillies on April 19.

When she travels to Sydney, Oakleigh Girl will be accompanied by Group-winning stablemate Longport.

“Longport has taken a real shine to Oakleigh Girl and has made friends with her. The two-year-old couldn’t care less but Longport would miss her,” Bougoure said.

Longport, who is a Group Two winner of the Tea Rose Stakes and Group One placed in the Flight Stakes and Vinery Stakes, won during last year’s Melbourne Cup carnival at her first start for Bougoure after being bought at a Patinack Farm dispersal sale.

She is also likely to trial in Sydney before tackling the fillies and mares features during the ATC carnival.

Bougoure said both horses would head to Sydney this week.

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