Ryan still weighing up Slipper hopefuls

Friday 14 March 2014, 2:02pm

He is among Australia's leading trainers of two-year-olds in 2013-2014 yet Gerald Ryan is unsure if he has a genuine Golden Slipper horse left in his stable.

But Ryan says that could easily change in the lead-up to the $3.5 million race, starting with two exempt-from-ballot races at Randwick on Saturday.

Ryan has trained the winners of nine two-year-old races this season, the most brilliant being Rubick with Black Opal Stakes heroine Lucky Raquie the most recent.

"A lot of my two-year-olds are on the fringes of being Golden Slipper runners," Ryan said.

The Rosehill trainer said he was no closer to deciding if he should give Lucky Raquie her chance in the Golden Slipper or save her for two Group One races at Randwick.

"I'll enter her in the Reisling Stakes on Saturday week and have a look at the field," Ryan said.

"But my aim has always been the Sires' (Produce Stakes) and the Champagne (Stakes)."

Ryan will start Time For War in the Skyline Stakes and Tetsuko and Believe Yourself in the Sweet Embrace Stakes at Randwick.

A winner of his only start, Time For War isn't paid up for the Golden Slipper.

Tetsuko and Believe Yourself are still in the Slipper running but Ryan insists they will need to be impressive to continue towards the race.

Meanwhile, placings behind two of this season's best juveniles has Tulloch Lodge confident Twirl can stake her Golden Slipper claims at Randwick.

But it is stablemate and Skyline Stakes contender Giuliani who appeals as a wildcard.

The colt's only racetrack appearance was in the spring when he finished second to subsequent Magic Millions winner Unencumbered.

"Those horses that have raced during the spring and late spring, they show the benefit of it when they come back," Waterhouse's stable spokesman Mark Newnham said.

Giuliani will be one of two Skyline runners for Waterhouse along with $1.35 million yearling Valentia, a last-start Randwick winner.

Twirl is the stable's sole representative in the Sweet Embrace Stakes for which she is an early $2 favourite.

Runner-up to Rubick on debut in January, she was again competitive in the Widden Stakes when third to Mossfun.

– AAP

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