Swettenham Sweet in Golden Slipper

Visiting Victorian trainer Brent Stanley believes his stakes winning filly Sweet Sherry will race well above her odds in the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) this Saturday.

The Swettenham Stud graduate is one of the outsiders for the $3.50 million event but there are several factors in her favour at Rosehill. “She’s rock-hard fit for the Golden Slipper and it’s the first time she’s drawn a barrier,” Stanley said. “Her trackwork has been top-shelf and there’s been genuine improvement since the Blue Diamond.”

Sweet Sherry was a $260,000 buy from Swettenham’s draft at last year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale. "She's big and built like a colt,” the Sutton Grange based trainer added. “She’s the first horse I bought for Steve Gillard and has shown ability from the outset.”

The Bel Esprit filly looked every bit the professional winning the LR Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) in a field of first-starters at Flemington in October. The likes of Sepoy, Danzero and Canny Lad have all completed the Maribyrnong Trial – Golden Slipper double.

Sweet Sherry threw a shoe second-up at Moonee Valley and was last seen doing her best work at the finish of the G1 Blue Diamond. “She drew an outside gate at Caulfield and was shuffled wide on the corner although, to be fair, Extreme Choice was a dominant winner,” Stanley admitted. “But some good horses have been beaten in the Golden Slipper and I’ve said from Day 1 my filly can make it to the top.”

Pictured: Sweet Sherry winning the LR Maribyrnong Trial Stakes from Kinetic Design in October