Breaking News
Six of the best
Kelly Robinson
16 April 2008
THE purple stars are aligning for AAMI Golden Slipper favourite Sebring to romp home first past the post at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
The boom colt drew the dream gate barrier six for the $3.5 million race during the draw at Martin Place yesterday.
The track also looks perfect for the unbeaten galloper, who favours wet conditions, with showers forecast for the rest of the week.
Champion Melbourne Cup winner Glen Boss has also answered an SOS call to ride Sebring in the Slipper after jockey Blake Shinn was suspended for careless riding.
Punters have plunged about $220,000 on the Gai Waterhouse-trained chestnut so far, bringing it in as the firm favourite, from $7 to $4.80 (TAB) and $5.50 (Centrebet) to win the world's richest race for two-year-olds.
Sebring is part-owned by two separate Bower St residents.
To bring them good luck, the horse's connections were all wearing matching scarfs and ties in the colt's purple and white star silks during yesterday's draw and will be decked out in Sebring's colours on race day.
Part-owner Shehan Mekertichian said northern beaches residents should all support Sebring.
"Our colours are purple with white stars and it would be great if everyone from the northern beaches, whether they are going to the race or not, wear Sebring's colours on Saturday," he said. "They should back him not for money but for sentiment and for the peninsula."
Part-owner Wendy Mullens, who drew the barrier, said she was looking forward to the big race.
"It was nerve-racking picking the barrier number out of the barrel," she said.
Centrebet media chief Neil Evans, said they expected a lot more money to be outlayed over the next four days.
"Many of the punters will not be betting on the race yet because it's such an open field," he said. TAB spokesman Glen Munsie said this year's Slipper was the most open field he could remember.
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