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By Ray Hickson

Learning To Fly had to work hard to stay unbeaten while Cylinder claimed a big scalp and continued his rise up the charts – the fields may have been small but has the Golden Slipper opened up just a shade after the two-year-old features at Randwick?

Chad Schofield was forced to lead on Learning To Fly in the Group 2 $300,000 Yarraman Park Reisling Stakes (1200m) to avoid a pocket in the four horse field but Facile wouldn’t go away and the two fillies hit the line with a half head between them.

Cylinder wins the Todman Stakes (Pic: Steve Hart)

It was enough for the Coolmore filly to retain favouritism for the $5 million Longines Golden Slipper at $4 with TAB.

But the fillies ran almost two lengths slower than Cylinder in winning the Group 2 $300,000 UNSW Todman Stakes (1200m) where he assumed second favouritism at $5 after bringing down Red Resistance in another two horse war.

The trio are the only horses under $10 in the Slipper market and history says 14 of the last 20 Golden Slipper winners have been in action on the corresponding meeting.

Cylinder’s Todman win moved him within sight of a $1 million bonus having also won the Silver Slipper last month and trainer James Cummings said his colt will have the best form behind him come March 18.

“The second horse is a magnificent animal and he was huge again there. There was nearly three lengths back to the third horse so those two look like extremely good chances in two weeks,’’ Cummings said.

“It’s a horse race and we’ve beaten a very good horse only by three-quarters of a length but you have to love the way he did it.

“Cylinder is going to take the A1 form going into the Golden Slipper with the Silver Slipper and Todman (Stakes) under his belt.”

Jockey Chad Schofield said it wasn’t Plan A to lead on Learning To Fly but he didn’t want to risk being caught up in a pocket and giving away an unnecessary start.

He persisted for an inside run and it probably won her the race as she was able to stave off a brave Facile.

“Small field is always complicated but I didn’t really want to lead just because of the nature of this filly, she’s very laid back and with nothing to chase down she’s quite lazy,’’ Schofield said.

“If I didn’t lead I was going to be in the box seat and that’s the last place I wanted to be in a small field, so we kicked up and held the lead.

“She relaxed well and she always just had a nose on Facile (second horse) and she was never going to win by a big margin, but luckily she did enough to win.”

Learning To Fly overcame an outside alley to win the Inglis Millennium where she produced a big finish from back in the field but in her two other wins, when close to the speed, she’s been less dynamic but shown fighting qualities.

What the beaten jockeys said after the Reisling:

Tim Clark (Facile): “She was incredibly brave again today. She is going to make a really nice filly in a little bit of time but she is doing a great job at the moment.”

Nash Rawiller (Cigar Flick): “She is a nice filly. Might have just come to the end of it. She should come back a nice filly.”

Sam Clipperton (Mathkhoora): “Disappointing. She is a better filly than that. She didn’t pull up with any clear signs of any issues. Just have to wait and see over the next 24 hours.”

Learning To Fly wins the Reisling Stakes

What the jockeys said after the Todman Stakes:

James McDonald (Cylinder): “I feel he’s got improvement to come. He’s second-up, he had that grounding work done back in the spring. He sets up beautifully. His work seems to be getting stronger and stronger.

“I went out there Tuesday, he worked well and I think he’ll take another step up which he will need to do, there’s some good horses in this Golden Slipper. But I tell you what, he’s tractable, he does everything really well, takes everything in his stride so that’s a big tick, a big help.”

Brett Prebble (Red Resistance): “Ran super. Obviously had to do the donkey work out in front. A month between runs was probably his undoing. He’ll come on from that.”

Brenton Avdulla (Militarize): “He ran really well. He’s a talented colt. He probably lacks the change up speed of the first two but his last 50m was really good through the line. Nice for 14[00]m.”

Zac Purton (Empire Of Japan): “A little bit keen in the first half of the race. When they quickened at the top of the straight they got me off the bit quickly and then that early bit of work told.”

Nash Rawiller (Cafe Millenium): “I think the horse ran really well. Very difficult to make ground out wide. I tried to ride for luck but ran out of time to get luck. He is not a Slipper horse but definitely there for longer races.”

All the results and replays from Randwick Guineas Day