Dame Giselle game to win muddling Reisling

Dame Giselle (nearest) has raced her way into the Golden Slipper after winning at Randwick.

Peter Snowden had a few ungodly thoughts in the run but Dame Giselle delivered the right result to win a messy renewal of the Reisling Stakes at Randwick.

The stable hatched a plan to settle Dame Giselle outside the lead but when Tim Clark slowed the tempo on Supreme Idea after getting to the front, Kerrin McEvoy found himself three-wide aboard the favourite.

Snowden admitted he had some anxious moments but was relieved to see Dame Giselle dig deep and win.

“We were going to be outside the leader or take a trail and it was going to pan out alright for the first 200 metres,” Snowden said.

“Then everything just pulled up in our faces and planted Kerrin three-deep. He had no other option than to stay there and just cuddle her up.

“She did plenty of work but was still good enough to put her head out and win.”

Snowden, who trains with son Paul, has been in the enviable position of having qualified Dame Giselle for the Golden Slipper via her Golden Gift victory in November.

He said that had taken the pressure off and allowed them to gradually build the filly towards a peak performance at Rosehill in two weeks.

“If there is a template to getting to the Golden Slipper, that’s it. It gives you more time to take your horses as easy as you can getting them in there and that’s been the case with her,” he said.

In a busy Reisling Stakes (1200m) finish in which the first two placegetters were wide apart, Dame Giselle ($3.10 fav) held off the late charge of See You Soon ($3.90) by a half-head.

Victorian filly Mildred ($6.50) fought on strongly for third another half-length back.

McEvoy feels Dame Giselle will take improvement from Saturday’s race and will be better again on a firm track.

“Fortunately she travelled nicely even without cover,” McEvoy said.

“She picked up nicely and better ground will suit her again

“She is still coming to hand and will be at her peak for the Golden Slipper.”

Apprentice Jean Van Overmeire also predicts significant improvement from See You Soon who was having her first run since the Golden Gift.

“Great return to the races. She’ll be better for that run and I think she’ll be a nice hope,” Van Overmeire said.

Both firmed slightly for the Slipper with Dame Giselle into $9 and See You Soon $13.