Craig WiIliams has been confirmed as the rider of Kiwi late entry Ruud Awakening in next Saturday's $3.5 million Golden Slipper Stakes at Rosehill while Kerrin McEvoy's mount for the Darley stable will not be resolved until Tuesday.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Williams made himself available for the Slipper ride on Ruud Awakening after his other Slipper options fell by the wayside.
He lost the ride on Black Opal and Todman Stakes winner Criterion when he refused to give trainer David Payne a commitment before riding the filly Assail in Saturday's Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill.
Payne has booked Hugh Bowman to ride Criterion while Assail is now going to the paddock after failing to qualify for a Slipper start with her seventh in the Magic Night.
Williams won the Karaka Million – New Zealand's richest race - at Ellerslie on Ruud Awakening in January and her Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh promised he would keep the Slipper ride open for the Melbourne star until the pay up deadline.
I was always confident Craig would ride her,” Marsh said.
“He just had to fulfil his other engagements. It's great to have him back aboard.”
Ruud Awakening, who arrived in Sydney last Wednesday and is stabled at Rosehill, will be a late entry for the Golden Slipper before Monday's 11am deadline at a cost of $150,000.
Her five wins and a second in six starts have more than covered the cost of her late entry as she has earned more than NZ760,000 prizemoney.
Her only start since the Karaka Million saw her win the G1 Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie on March 9 when she was ridden by Opie Bosson.
Williams, who won the 2008 Golden Slipper on Miss Finland for David Hayes, will ride Ruud Awakening in a gallop on the course proper at Rosehill on Tuesday.
Meanwhile Kerrin McEvoy says he will ride Saturday's Pago Pago Stakes winner Sidestep if trainer Peter Snowden decides to run the colt.
Snowden said on Sunday Sidestep had recovered well from Saturday's win but he will wait until Tuesday morning to decide if the colt joins Kuroshio and Guelph as his Slipper runners.
He has named Christian Reith as Kuroshio's rider with McEvoy to ride Sidestep if he runs, otherwise he will be on the filly Guelph.
Magic Night Stakes winner Scandiva is unlikely to be a late entry while the connections of Brisbane youngster Whiskey Allround will meet on Monday morning to reach their decision on paying the $150,000 fee.
Pago Pago Stakes second Dothraki will back up in the Slipper, giving trainer Gerald Ryan two runners with Charlie Boy also set to make the final field.
Glen Boss will miss the Slipper meeting after deciding to go to Perth next weekend to ride the Michael Kent-trained Scarletini in the WA Oaks at Ascot.
