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| Staff Writer |
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Allan Kehoe is orchestrating a fresh assault on next month's Gr.1 Golden Slipper with his emerging talent Shaggy, following the youngster's emphatic triumph at Royal Randwick.
The unbeaten juvenile has forced connections to reconsider their programme after completing a hat-trick in Saturday's Pierro Plate over 1100m. The son of Sandbar is now aimed at the Gr.2 Skyline Stakes at Royal Randwick, rather than the originally planned Gr.2 Todman Stakes.
Though not currently nominated for the US$5 million Golden Slipper at Rosehill Gardens on March 22, connections are weighing up the US$150,000 late entry fee pending his next performance.
"It just gives him three weeks instead of two into the Slipper if he races like he did the other day," Kehoe explained. "It's probably a bit better for him that way."
Adam Hyeronimus retains the mount after deputising successfully last weekend when Aaron Bullock was unable to make the weight. "Hippo will stick with him now, he's done nothing wrong," confirmed Kehoe. "I spoke to Aaron on Monday and he said it would take him a good month to get to that weight."
The trainer is delighted with his charge's condition following his latest success. "You wouldn't know the horse raced to tell you the truth," Kehoe reported. "He has been full of beans the past couple of days. He is out on the farm doing somersaults, he is one happy horse at the moment. If we can keep him in that frame of mind, who knows where he will end up."
The altered schedule would allow Shaggy three weeks between runs should connections opt to tackle the Golden Slipper. "Like his last race, he went three weeks into it and then if he gets his next run over and done with, we can put him away and he can float about for a week and then he will have two weeks to get ready for the Slipper if he goes down that path."