Extremely wide barrier draws for the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday (21 March) have threatened to cause havoc for several of the more fancied runners in the world’s richest two-year-old race.

Worth AU$5 million (approx. HK$27.79 million), the chances of several horses were diminished, while improving for others, including the Annabel & Rob Archibald-trained filly Chayan, who shot to clear favouritism after drawing barrier 12 in the 16-horse field.

A last-start Group 2 1200m winner, Chayan will start from barrier 10 if the third and fourth reserves, who have been allocated barriers 2 and 3, don’t make the final field.

Barriers 1 to 10 have produced 52 of the 69 winners since the first running of the race in 1957.

Annabel Archibald said she was happy with the draw and the prospect of jumping from barrier 10.

“It’s a race where wherever you draw, you just need luck,” she said. “But I’m very happy with the filly and it’s extremely exciting having the favourite leading into it.

“I suppose all the hard work is done now but horses are horses and you still want to see them wrapped up in cotton wool.”

Archibald said Chayan, a daughter of champion sire I Am Invincible, was a sound, straightforward filly and it was now all up to jockey Craig Williams, who replaces James McDonald. McDonald switches to ride Chris Waller’s Fireball.

“I think it is one of the most open years that there has been, particularly the Victorian horses have looked very good,” she said.

“I thought Stretan Ruler has been brilliant the whole way through, and I thought Danny O’Brien’s colt (Closer To Free) trialled exceptionally well, so you can nearly make a case for all of them.

“But I wouldn’t swap our filly for anything at this stage.”

The Phillip Stokes-trained Stretan Ruler would have to make history by becoming the first horse to win the Golden Slipper from barrier 13.

Bjorn Baker said there was no point in sulking after his two colts, Warwoven and Paradoxium, drifted in the market after drawing barriers 14 and 18 respectively.

“You can’t change barrier draws, so I’m not going to sulk about it,” Baker said. “At a glance, most of the speed seems to be drawn out.

“You’ve got Danny O’Brien’s (Closer To Free) in 17 and Pembrey out in 19. They will be going forward, you would think, so it could work out OK.”

If heavy rain comes, as is forecast, Baker said: “Who’s to say the inside is going to be the place to be. It might just work out that the wide draws are the better draws.”

Victorian trainer Clinton McDonald was hoping for a good draw for his last-start Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) winner Streisand, who drew gate 11 but will move in two spots if the third emergency Gin Twist (barrier two) and fourth emergency Screen Icon (barrier three) don’t get a start.

“The whole time since the Blue Diamond we have been in good shape and haven’t had one hiccup. She is in terrific form and the feeling is if she can draw a barrier on Saturday she’ll be very hard to beat,” he said.

Closer To Free, who finished second to Streisand in the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield in February, drew 17, while the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr-trained Guest House, who was third in the same race, drew 10.

Waller’s three runners all drew inside barriers – Fireball (7), Campione D’Italia (4) and Hidrix (1).

The Golden Slipper is carded as S1-8 and will be run at 1.35pm (Hong Kong time) on Saturday, 21 March.