Coolmore looks to have a stranglehold on the Golden Slipper after Switzerland announced himself a genuine threat to the favourite Storm Boy when downing a top-class field in Saturday’s Group II UNSW Todman Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
Ridden by James McDonald for Chris Waller, the son of Snitzel overpowered the favoured Written By colt Straight Charge by a neck, with the Alamama Express colt Shangri La Express back in third.
Switzerland extends his unbeaten record to three and raises hopes for connections that he can follow in the footsteps of Snitzel’s Golden Slipper hero, Shinzo.
“It makes the next two weeks that little bit easier to know you’re on target. For a coach, it makes it a little bit easier,” Chris Waller said.
“If you’re running second and thirds you’re scratching your head and wondering, what do I have to do to get a bit of improvement out of a horse.
“What I will be doing for the next two weeks is keeping things simple.
“They’re Switzerland and Shinzo) very well bred, good connections, as most of our stable are.
“Shinzo got there at the last minute, he won the week before, whereas this horse has had a more planned preparation through his great ability.”
“Today’s field was as good a field as I’ve seen leading into a Slipper for a while and hopefully the form stacks up in two weeks’ time.
“That’s our conventional way of training, we haven’t changed anything, we’re just banking on the horse, letting the horse be a horse.
“He has kept improving with each run and putting on a bit of weight, strengthening up nicely and enjoying himself, which is the most important thing for any horse.
“I’m very lucky to be training for so many great owners, including Coomore. The beauty of that is they’re well organised and they’ll make their decision (on the jockeys).”
Farnan was the last Todman stakes winner to win the Golden Slipper. Since then, the feature has been won by a couple of handy types in Australian Horse of The Year, Anamoe, and last year’s winner Cylinder, who earlier in the day downed Imperatriz in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington.
A $1,500,000 purchase for Tom Magnier from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Switzerland, is the first foal of the high-class Blame (USA) mare Ms Bad Behavior (CAN), a US$600,000 buy for Freyer Bloodstock at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.
A 3-time winner and placed in eight of her 14 starts while banking over $500,000, Ms Bad Behavior (CAN) was a Grade III winner at Kentucky Downs, and all eight placings came in stakes races.
A half-sister to stakes-winners One Bad Boy and Blessed Truly, Ms Bad Behavior (CAN) has a brother to Switzerland in the Arrowfield Stud draft at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in April (lot 170).
After foaling her third consecutive Snitzel colt on October 1, Ms Bad Behavior (CAN) revisited the champion son of Redoude’s Choice.
