One of a number of colts vying to win this year's Golden Slipper and secure a lucrative stud career is Performer, whose sire Exceed and Excel tasted success in 2013 with Overreach.
The trophy cabinet of champion jockeyHugh Bowman is adorned by all of Sydney's big-ticket races bar one – the Longines Golden Slipper but Australia's premier Group I rider believes he will have the ammunition under his saddle to change that on Saturday at RosehillGardens.
"I thinkPerformeris one of the best chances I've had going into the race for quite some time," Bowman said.
"Every year I try to talk myself into thinking I've got a winning chance but the reality is the last winning chance I had in the race was probably Maurice, who I rode for Gai Waterhouse into third place in 2007.
"It would mean a great deal to win the race.
"It's one of Sydney's signature races, it's one of the signature races on the Australian racing calendar.
"It's exciting to go into the race with a genuine top contender but it's a very even race and luck's going to play a big part."
Bowman returns to the track on Saturday after being sidelined for two weeks since his inglorious parting with Performer in the Group II Todman Stakes when the son of Exceed And Excel took fright and ducked out sharply, leaving his rider clutching at fresh air beforecrashing to the turf.
Bowman suffered a concussion from the incident and "stiffness in the neck and shoulder area".
"He's a quality horse that obviously reacted to something the other day and that doesn't concern me," he said.
"It wasn't as though he shied. I think something just upset him whether it was my riding, I don't know what it was to be honest. I just don't think it will happen again.
"I think he would have gone very close to winning.
"I would say he would have just won or been beaten a neck or a bit less. That's my gut feeling."
Performer's trainerChris Wallerhas since applied the blinkers to his Golden Slipper hopeful and under Kerrin McEvoy, Performer impressed when scoring an easyRandwickbarrier trial on a heavy (8) surface, to gainclearance from stewards to take his place in the Longines Golden Slipper field.
"I was very impressed with his trial, obviously he had the blinkers on," Bowman said.
"I think they probably would have gone on anyway for the Golden Slipper regardless of what happened in the Todman.
"I've got a great deal of confidence in the colt and I think it's a very open race.
"Sunlightis the benchmark but it's probably the most open Golden Slipper I've seen for 10 years or more.
"There's seven or eight horses with genuine winning chances and luck is going to play a big part."
