Destination stakes Slipper claim at Kembla

Kerrin McEvoy guides Golden Slipper prospect Destination to his maiden victory at Kembla Grange.

Godolphin-owned Destination has staked his claim as a Golden Slipper contender after breaking his maiden at Kembla Grange.

The son of dual Group One winner Exceed And Excel out of unraced mare Heaven, Destination ($3) cruised a 1-1/2 length win in Saturday’s two-year-old handicap (1000m) over Mrs Maisel ($2.30) with Galactic Fury ($7.50) a head further back.

Trainer James Cummings opted for blinkers for the well-bred colt’s racing debut after his third and second in his two trials.

“He’s a very laid-back type of colt,” stable representative Darren Beadman said.

“You’ve really got the race half-won going into it when they’ve got a nature like that.

“James elected to put the blinkers on him early. It was a big call but he needed it.”

Favourite Mrs Maisel jumped sideways from gate seven, running four or five lengths wide before linking up with the rest of the field.

“It went left,” jockey Tim Clark said.

With top rider Kerrin McEvoy on board, Beadman believed the race was as good as won after Mrs Maisel’s mishap.

“I was surprised when the other horse went back,” he said.

“And I thought ‘well, it’s going to be hard to give us two or three lengths start knowing what our horse can do and how he performed at his last trial when he came off their backs’.

“In good open spaces here, he savaged the line perfectly.”

Beadman was not sure where Destination would head next, after the colt missed the $1 million Golden Gift at Rosehill a fortnight ago.

“Probably the Golden Gift came around a couple of weeks too early,” he said.

“He probably would have been a chance in a race like that.

“You’re between a rock in a hard place whether you keep him going, but he’s certainly got the attitude to keep going anywhere.”

Destination was rated a $26 chance for next year’s Golden Slipper after Saturday’s win.