Sydney, March 31 – Yarraman Park have reason to cheer on several runners in this weekend’s Group One STC Golden Slipper with Hinchinbrook and Elimbari foaled and raised on the farm, while Decision Time is from the first crop of Yarraman based sire Foreplay, who has sadly become infertile.
“We’re delighted to see these horses get to the race as it’s not an easy thing to do,” said Arthur Mitchell.
“Hinchinbrook and Elimbari are both from very similar mares, small, neat, tough racemares that could get through the wet ground, so we’re hoping they can both run well.
“Fastnet Rock is such a big, heavy horse that he does seem to go well when you mate him to the smaller, neater types of mares and these two are a good example.”
Fastnet Rock colt Hinchinbrook earned a Slipper start with a record breaking win in the Group Three AJC Skyline Stakes and tuned up for his grand final with a last start third in the Group Two STC Pago Pago Stakes.
The last foal of ill-fated broodmare Snippets’ Lass, who died shortly after his birth at Yarraman in 2007, Hinchinbrook was retained to race by breeder Francois Naude and has already won $148,500 in prizemoney with two wins from just three starts.
His trainer Gerald Ryan has applied blinkers to Hinchinbrook, who will be a attempting to avenge the defeat of his Group One winning three-quarter brother Snitzel (also, foaled, raised and sold by Yarraman), who started favourite and was beaten out of a place after being galloped on in the 2005 Golden Slipper won by Stratum.
Also foaled and raised at Yarraman is the Kris Lees trained Fastnet Rock filly Elimbari, who has shown above average ability with a win and a second from just three starts and was fifth at her final lead-up to race favourite Military Rose.
A three-quarter sister to freakish filly Amelia’s Dream(also foaled, raised and sold by Yarraman), who was favourite for the race in 2008 before breaking down, Elimbari was retained by her breeders who include Kris Lees and Hilton Cope, the syndicate selling her dam Shalt Not for $1,050,000 in 2008.
The sad story of Foreplay takes another turn on Saturday with unheralded two year-old gelding Decision Time taking his place in the Slipper field following his connections decision to pay the late entry of $150,000.
A model of consistency, the Clarry Connors trained Decision Time has won four of five starts and was narrowly beaten by Masquerader in the Group Two STC Todman Stakes.
