Napayshini, the Gosford-trained youngster tabbed as a Golden Slipper prospect after his impressive debut in December, will start his autumn campaign in Saturday's $100,000 Canonbury Stakes at Rosehill.
Napayshini showed abundant raw talent at his first start when he walked out of the barriers but recovered to storm to the line for a long head second behind All The Talk over 1o00m at Warwick Farm on December 1.
His trainer Grant Allard pulled no punches after the race when he declared Napayshini could win the $3.5 million Golden Slipper, the world's richest two-year-old race, at Rosehill on April 6.
"He will win the Golden Slipper. He's the best horse I've ever trained,' Allard declared.
Saturday's race can take Napayshini a long way towards that goal as the first prizemoney of $60,000 will boost the colt's earnings to more than $76,000, a sum that would have seen him easily make the final field for the last two Golden Slippers.
It will also make him one of the two-year-old bargains of the season as the first crop son of US shuttle sire Ready's Image cost his owner June Baker only $56,000 at the 2012 Inglis Classic yearling sale in Sydney.
Baker was hit with some big offers from bloodstock agents for Napayshini before and after his first start but has resisted their approaches.
"At this stage she is happy to go along for the ride," Allard said.
"There were some offers made. It's fair to say they were big enough to change a few people's lives."
Napayshini won a Wyong barrier trial before he raced at Warwick Farm but Allard has taken a different path s preparing the colt for Saturday's return by giving him an exhibition gallop at last Sunday's Gosford meeting.
There were plenty of onlookers impressed by his work as he was timed to break 34 seconds for the last 600m of the solo gallop.
The Canonbury will be a serious Golden Slipper pointer as there are six metropolitan winners among the entries headed by Gai Waterhouse's Breeders Plate winner Whittington.
