Blue Diamond Stakes winner Lyre will press on to the Golden Slipper with the chance to become the sixth two-year-old to claim the coveted Group One double.
Trained by Anthony Freedman and owned by global powerhouse Godolphin, Lyre stormed home to win the $1.5 million Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on February 23 having also won the fillies Prelude at her previous start.
The Freedman stable confirmed on Sunday that Lyre would line up in the $3.5 million Golden Slipper at Rosehill on March 23 and would have a barrier trial in Sydney in the lead-up.
“@godolphin owned Blue Diamond winner Lyre will travel to Sydney on Monday night in preparation for the Group 1 Golden Slipper on March 23,” Freedman Racing posted on Twitter.
“She will trial at Rosehill on Thursday morning. Luke Currie will retain the ride in the Slipper.”
Sepoy in 2011 is the most recent juvenile to complete the Blue Diamond-Golden Slipper double while Courtza (1989), Bounding Away (1986), Manikato (1978) and John’s Hope (1972) also won both races.
Lyre was at $11 in a Golden Slipper market on Sunday with Godolphin expected to have a strong hand in the race despite losing long-time favourite Tassort for the autumn because of a hoof problem.
Godolphin’s head trainer in Australia, James Cummings, prepared Tenley to win Saturday’s Reisling Stakes for fillies at Randwick while her Magic Millions-winning stablemate Exhilarates finished second.
Tenley shares Golden Slipper favouritism at $6 with the Chris Waller-trained Todman Stakes winner Yes Yes Yes while the Cummings-trained Skyline Stakes winner Microphone is on the second line of betting at $8.
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