Australia: Four Moves Ahead challenges the boys in Gold Slipper Stakes

She’s unbeaten, she has a handy running style, and she has already beaten males. There is several things going in favor of the filly Four Moves Ahead for Saturday’s Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes for 2-year-olds at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia.

Four Moves Ahead won her debut against males in a handicap at 5 3/4 furlongs on the Kensington turf course at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Jan. 2, and won the Group 2 Embrace Stakes against 2-year-old fillies on the main turf course at Randwick on Feb. 27. She missed a start in the interim because of illness, according to published reports in Australia.

As of Thursday, Four Moves Ahead was the 9-2 joint second choice in a field of 16 in the Golden Slipper, which comprises 11 males and five fillies.

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Trained by John Sargent, Four Moves Ahead is by Snitzel out of the unraced American-bred mare Doulmera, a half-sister to Dalkana, the champion older female in France in 2013.

Profiteer, second by a head to Anamoe in the Group 2 Todman Stakes at six furlongs at Randwick on March 6, was the 5-2 favorite on Thursday, a slight choice over 9-2 Stay Inside, who was fourth in the Todman. Anamoe was the 8-1 winner of the Todman, but was 17-1 for the Golden Slipper on Thursday.

There are 11 stakes winners in the field, including Artorius, who won the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at 12-1 at six furlongs at Caulfield Racecourse on Feb. 20. A closer, Artorius was 11-1 for the Golden Slipper on Thursday.

The Golden Slipper is the seventh of nine races on an all-stakes Rosehill Gardens program that begins at 9:30 p.m., Eastern, or 6:30 p.m., Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

The first two Group 1 races – the $543,340 Ranvet Stakes for older horses and $465,720 Rosehill Guineas for 3-year-olds – are run at 1 1/4 miles.

Only five entered the Ranvet, including English invader Addeybb who won the race in 2020 and has not started since a victory in the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot, England, in October. Addeybb was 4-5 on Thursday, a slight choice over 6-5 Verry Elleegant, a 5-year-old mare who is a multiple Group 1 winner in Australia in the last year and was second in the 2020 Ranvet.

Lion’s Roar, the 25-1 upset winner of the Group 1 Randwick Guineas at a mile on March 6, rates at the top of contenders for the Rosehill Guineas, but must beat Mo’unga, who was second in the Randwick Guineas and is favored in this field.

Mo’unga had traffic issues in the final quarter-mile of the Randwick Guineas and should appreciate this longer journey.

Avilius and Funstar, third and fourth to Verry Elleegant in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes at a mile at Randwick on Feb. 27, tops the betting market for the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes, a $776,200 race at 7 1/2 furlongs. Funstar, the winner of three group-level stakes in her 15-race career, is the lone filly in a field of 10. She is a threat from a stalking position.

Winx, one of the most popular horses in Australian racing history, won the George Ryder in four consecutive seasons from 2016-19.

The final Group 1 race on the program is the $543,340 Galaxy Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs, which drew a field of 13 and does not have a strong favorite.

Haut Brion Her and Tailleur were 9-2 co-favorites on Thursday, making them slight choices over Wild Ruler.

The race is run under handicap conditions.

This is the first start in a Group 1 for Wild Ruler since a third in a tough running of the Coolmore Stakes at six furlongs at Flemington Racecourse on Halloween. Wild Ruler won the minor Fireball Stakes at 5 1-2 furlongs as the odds-on favorite at Randwick on March 6 in his first start this year.