Blue Diamond runner-up Closer To Free will pay the $150,000 Golden Slipper late entry with Melbourne Cup winning jockey Jamie Melham to ride him in the world’s richest two-year-old race.
Trainer Danny O’Brien has been delighted with the improvement in his colt since running second in a Group 1 at just his second start, and Closer To Free has already arrived in Sydney.
The son of Street Boss will barrier trial at Rosehill on Tuesday with Melham in the saddle.
“It will be good for him to have a look at Rosehill in the trial,” O’Brien said. “We have booked Jamie for the Slipper and she was very happy to go up there and get a feel of him.
“I’m coming from Adelaide to Sydney for the trial and to see him, but all reports are he has settled in well.
“He is handling the racing well, considering he only had his first run last month.
“He is just getting better.”
O’Brien bought Closer To Free in a wash bay after he trialled at Caulfield on January 29 and Sean Buckley took him off the trainer’s hands that day.
He won the Blue Diamond Prelude for colts and geldings on debut, which has proven the best two-year-old form reference of the season.
While there has been talk of stud interest, it is likely that Buckley would not sell the colt.
“Sean kept Shamus Award after he won the Cox Plate and stood him himself. I think he would do the same thing with this colt,” O’Brien said.
