Lindsay Park Fillies In Danger Of Missing Golden Slipper Field

Both of Lindsay Park's Golden Slipper hopes are in grave danger of missing the $5 million juvenile feature at Rosehill after a hectic final day of qualification blew apart the stable's calculations, leaving assistant trainer Ben Hayes crunching numbers at Caulfield on Saturday afternoon with diminishing returns.

Medicinal and Gin Twist entered the day firmly in contention for the 1200m race, but ballot-exempt victories by Warwoven in the Pago Pago Stakes and Pembrey in the Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill reshuffled the order of entry dramatically. Medicinal slipped from a relatively safe 17th to 21st, while Gin Twist fell even further, crashing to 25th. With only 16 runners accepted into the final field, Tuesday's acceptances now represent a critical lifeline for both fillies.

Gin Twist has since clawed back some ground, moving to 18th in the order of entry following the expected non-acceptances of Tornado Valley, ranked 12th, Big Sky at 14th, and Eternal Warrior at 17th. Her path remained complicated, however, by the Magic Night Stakes placing of By Choice and the Pago Pago Stakes placing of Outspan, who climbed to 23rd in the standings after his Rosehill run.

Medicinal's situation is more precarious. Still sitting 21st with no explicit movement back toward the top 16, Hayes acknowledged the stable would need luck just to get the Ottawa Stakes winner into the race. He is nonetheless unequivocal about her ability. "We have a very high opinion of her," Hayes said. "The win the other day was very good, and I believe she ran the fastest last 200 of the meeting on Newmarket day. I know it was a 1000-metre race, but it is still a very good effort for a two-year-old. She has already shown she can win over further than 1000 — she won by four-and-a-half lengths at Ballarat (over 1100m) — and I think there is more improvement to come."

Gin Twist, a winner of the listed Festival Stakes who also claimed a last-start victory at Flemington, may be redirected entirely if she fails to secure a spot. Hayes flagged the Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes down the straight, a week after the Golden Slipper, as a possible alternative. "We'll see where Medicinal ends up but I think we'll need a new plan for Gin Twist," he said. "She might run a week later in the Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes down the straight."

The broader frustration was not lost on Hayes. "It's quite surprising as both our fillies are stakes winners and they are struggling to get into the field, which is insane," he said.

Tuesday's final acceptances will determine whether either filly makes the field. As it stands, Medicinal needs multiple non-acceptances from horses ranked above her, while Gin Twist at 18th sits two spots outside the cut with the margins still shifting.