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By Ray Hickson

Champion trainer Chris Waller is adamant boom colt Wodeton has had the right preparation to win Saturday’s Group 1 $5 million TAB Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill.

Trainer Chris Waller

Although Wodeton has only won one of his three starts, and it was the debut win that thrust him to the top of Slipper markets back in January, Waller said it’s all about the ‘grand final’ and from that perspective he can’t be faulted.

Waller has added winkers to the colt’s gear – he didn’t work in them in front of media on Thursday morning – and he wanted an inside barrier to aid the plan he has in place.

“The preparation is exactly what we set out to do, three runs before the Golden Slipper,’’ Waller said.

“Ideally he would have won his last start, it wasn’t quite the case, but the reason for the three runs is to learn as much as you can and prepare the horse for the grand final.

“I’m happy with the prep, confidence levels are therefore high from a preparation perspective. We know how good he is, we’ve just got to get him to do it in the grand final.”

Wodeton, $4.80 with TAB on Thursday, appeared a month after his debut win and ran third in the Group 2 Silver Slipper (1100m) before being run down by Tentyris in the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) two weeks ago.

That latter result pushed Waller, who won the Slipper in 2023 with Shinzo, to look for an edge to bring out Wodeton’s best on Slipper day.

He said the winkers are applied to help keep him focused on what is going on in front and he wants James McDonald to ride him conservatively.

“Obviously it’s a sprint race but we still feel he has more to offer by being held up and ensuring he has that lethal finish over the last 200-300m,’’ he said.

“The only concern of barrier two is getting out, if you’ve got enough speed you’ll get out.

“I think he’s got enough speed. Barrier two means you conserve energy, barrier two means you’re in your comfort zone.

“Wider barriers have to do a lot of work and cover extra ground so there’s certainly a lot of positives about barrier two.”

Interestingly, only won horse in the past 20 years has won the Golden Slipper from barrier two and that was Capitalist in 2016.

While all eyes will be on Waller’s superstar mare Via Sistina in the Group 1 $1m Ranvet Stakes (2000m) there’s an international mare now in his care that has the potential to create some interest.

She’s called Full Count Felicia and her last win at Woodbine in September will remind Australian racegoers a little of Pride Of Jenni’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes victory.

Like Via Sistina, Full Count Felicia is owned by Yulong and Waller said the six-year-old has been prepared in the same way that Via Sistina was leading into her Ranvet win a year ago.

“I’ve spoken to her trainer, he speaks very highly of her,’’ Waller said.

“She has a very good racing pattern which is on speed, or she can take a sit. She’s fit and well prepared.

“She was the Pride of Jenni when she won a big Group 1 race over in America, in Canada. Some of her races have been quite remarkable.”

Wodeton runs second in the Todman Stakes

As for Via Sistina, he said the champion mare can’t be faulted but added she’s exceeded all his hopes since he arrived a year ago.

“She was just another horse in our minds,’’ he said.

“The next 12 months has just been surreal, she just keeps improving. She’s appreciating Australia, she’s found her niche which is 1600m to 2000m races and it’s great for the racing public to see her bring that international form and possibly improve on it.

“We’ve got Via Sistina at the end of her career, she’s seven, Australia won’t see her for the length of time they see other champions but she’s a very good mare.”

All the fields, form and replays for Golden Slipper day at Rosehill