Villa Verde the Golden Slipper favourite

Friday 8 February 2013, 4:48pm

Bendigo race fans could be in for a treat on Sunday week with trainer Shaun Dwyer keen to give Golden Slipper favourite Villa Verde an exhibition gallop between races.

The unbeaten filly was installed as the $8 favourite with TAB fixed odds on Friday in its opening market for the $3.5 million Golden Slipper (1200m).

Dwyer said the boom youngster, who hasn't been seen since winning impressively on Melbourne Cup day, was "ticking along well" and would step up her work in the next week.

"I'm going to speak to the Club and hopefully at Bendigo next Sunday between races she can do a bit of work," Dwyer said.

"She'll do a bit of work over 800 metres and will go the reverse way.

"Then the following week, probably on the Monday or Tuesday she'll have a jumpout over 800 metres."

Dwyer plans to give Villa Verde another jumpout over 1000m before taking her to Sydney to settle in before her return in the Group Two Reisling Stakes on March 23.

The Golden Slipper is at Rosehill two weeks after the Reisling.

Dwyer said Villa Verde had grown and "bulked up" since winning her two spring starts.

"She's got a bit of condition to come off yet," he said.

"But at the moment I'm happy. There's eight weeks to go (to the Golden Slipper)."

The Bendigo trainer elected to bypass a Melbourne campaign and a shot at the Blue Diamond, to concentrate on the Slipper.

Trainer Peter Snowden has three youngsters high in the Slipper market with Guelph second favourite at $13, Metastasio on the third line at $15 and Safeguard at $17.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained Whittington, winner of the Breeders' Plate, is at $15 with stablemate Overreach at $17.

The Clarry Conners-trained Assail and Peter Moody-prepared Thermal Current are also at $17.

Dwyer's concern is not the early market, but rather having his filly at her peak on grand final day.

"All I want to do is get her as good as when she went to Flemington on Cup day, health-wise and fitness-wise," he said.

"With natural improvement, she's still going to be a big chance."

– AAP

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