Seabrook on target for Golden Slipper tilt

The Mick Price-trained Seabrook has confirmed her place in the Golden Slipper with her Randwick win.

Seabrook may have missed out on the chance to win the Blue Diamond Stakes but connections now have their sights on a bigger prize in Sydney.

The Mick Price-trained filly confirmed her credentials fir the $3.5 million Golden Slipper on March 24 with her win in Saturday’s Group Two Sweet Embrace Stakes at Randwick.

The filly was a luckless third in the Blue Diamond fillies Prelude at Caulfield at her previous start and was left without enough prize money to make the field for the Group One Blue Diamond on February 24, won by Written By.

Price has won a couple of Blue Diamond Stakes, Victoria’s premier juvenile race, but is chasing his first Golden Slipper in Sydney and was impressed with Seabrook’s Randwick performance under top Sydney jockey Hugh Bowman.

“I thought she was outstanding,” Price said.

“Hughie got off and said, ‘if it had have been beaten, it would have been a bad ride’.

“She flew the gates and was going to put herself there and he asked her to come back and then finish off. I did say to him she needs to be ridden with a sense of finish, and to give her a strong chance at the finish.

“It was a big ask of her this week because she galloped the reverse way (at Caulfield) on Saturday, galloped reverse way on Tuesday and was on a float to Sydney on Wednesday night.

“It gives her three weeks into the Slipper now with D Oliver on. She’s a filly that has no stress, so she should train on.”

Price also has stakes winner Prairie Fire, fourth in the Blue Diamond, on a Golden Slipper path.

Damien Oliver rode Seabrook in her first two starts but had commitments for the trainer in Melbourne on Saturday, winning the Group One Australian Guineas on Grunt and the Listed Bob Hoysted Handicap on Secret Agenda.

“I was really disappointed Seabrook didn’t make the Diamond because I reckon she would have given it a real shake,” Oliver said.

“She should have won the Prelude and should have been in it.

“I’ve got a lot of time for her. I think she’s a real chance in the Slipper.”