It is one of the last boxes Chris Waller has to tick, but leading syndicator Denise Martin will play the long game before narrowing next year's Golden Slipper arsenal of the state's premier trainer with first nominations to be released on Wednesday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Star Thoroughbreds' backing has helped Waller increase his initial entries for the world's richest two-year-old race to 79 – up from only 42 nominations he lodged for this year's Slipper.
Entrenched two-year-old trainer Gai Waterhouse, who formerly had Star's horses under her care, will be seeking a record-equalling sixth Golden Slipper win among her 109 entries.
Darley will nominate 174 horses for new head trainer John O'Shea, whose switch to the global breeding and racing giant has seen his two-year-old stock catapult from just 19 nominees last year when he was a public trainer.
Team Hawkes, which prepared Mossfun to win this year's race, will be represented by 51 horses.
The Australian Turf Club will collate final overall numbers on Wednesday morning after processing fax and postal nominations.
But a lot of interest will centre on Waller's loaded artillery to aim at the autumn two-year-old features with the support of Star.
"There's four or five he's particularly upbeat about and they're by the stallions you would probably anticipate them to be by ... a Sebring two-year-old and a very talented filly by Starspangledbanner," said Star owner Martin, whose famous purple colours with white stars were carried to Slipper success by Sebring in 2008.
"I think this year quite a number of his yearlings are in work for the second time a lot earlier. Chris has had his best year to date already with two-year-olds, albeit with a lot of winners after autumn.
"He will be guided by the horses and while we might have a smallish team, we expect to have a better idea by Christmas time. I was asked on [Tuesday] morning when we get an idea and people will sometimes say, 'by now'. I like to say, 'by Christmas time'."
Sportingbet has installed O'Shea as the $4 top pick to be the Slipper-winning trainer next year. Waterhouse ($4.20) is on the second line of betting, slightly ahead of Team Hawkes ($5). Waller is rated a $7.50 chance of snaring his first Slipper.
All Golden Slipper nominees are automatically entered for the 2015 group 1 Golden Rose in their three-year-old season.
"The Tooheys New Golden Slipper is one of the world’s great races,'' ATC executive general manager of racing Matt Rudolph said. ''There is no other race like it where success is passed on through the generations and shapes an entire industry."
Meanwhile, champion bush jockey Robert Thompson claimed an unprecedented 10th Jungle Juice Cup when he saluted aboard Youthful King, trained by his good friend Jeremy Sylvester, at Cessnock on Tuesday.
Thompson became the first Australian jockey to ride 4000 winners in May. He will celebrate the milestone at a luncheon hosted by the Newcastle Jockey Club on Wednesday.
