The autumn carnival continues to pick up pace this weekend

How crucial will the barrier draw be in the two Group 1 features on Saturday at Rosehill and Moonee Valley? 

Another Group 1 Saturday is on the horizon and the day is shaping up to be a corker. Both Moonee Valley and Rosehill are set to welcome current and future horse racing stars respectively and the barrier draw could be crucial in both races. 

An inside barrier can often be a help at any track and when it comes to 1200m races at Group 1 level, a horse's chance can be won or lost by the draw. The last two winners of the Golden Slipper have both been drawn in one but the winners in 2019 and 2020 were berthed in 14 and 12 so a wider starting position can still be overcome. 

Storm Boy’s Slipper bid starts from two 

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott team will be delighted with the draw, clinching the inside three barriers with half of their six-horse team for the race. Storm Boy has been the ante-post favourite for the contest for a long time and he looks set to maintain that position with the horse racing bookmakers ahead of Saturday.  
 
Unbeaten in four starts, he looks to have the perfect draw from which to attack. He is strong at the end of this 1200m distance and will want to try and run the finish out of his rivals. A winner on his debut at this track back in December, his starts have all come at different tracks so this is his first return. 

Switzerland lands a middle barrier 

Coolmore bought into Storm Boy recently but they also have Switzerland who has looked hugely impressive in his three starts, winning them all. His most recent success was in the Group 2 Todman, the race that Farnan landed before winning this race in 2022. 
 
Both Anamoe and Cylinder in 2021 and 2023 won the Todman before finishing second in the Golden Slipper. He has been drawn in seven so James McDonald is going to have plenty of options open for him and it would be a surprise to see him out of the frame. 

Barrier one goes to Fully Lit 

The inside barrier is on a hat-trick after Fireburn in 2022 and Shinzo in 2023 both saluted from the innermost draw. Fully Lit for the Waterhouse and Bott combination is the runner to have the honour of that starting position in the 2024 Golden Slipper. 
 
He was turned over at $1.65 in the Black Opal at Canberra last time he was in action which was disappointing given his win in the Inglis Millennium at Randwick the time before. Perhaps being back in Sydney will be a help to him but he has plenty more to do if he is to win in this field. Waterhouse also has Shangri La Express in barrier three which has held a winner and two seconds in the last four runnings. 

Imperatriz draws wide in the William Reid 

Away from Rosehill, the Moonee Valley feature is the William Reid Stakes. Imperatriz is a perfect 4/4 at the Melbourne venue but she has been drawn wide in barrier 10 for the 1200m feature contest. She has been drawn seven, seven, five and four in her other visits so this is the toughest task set for her. 
 
Beaten with a huge impost in the Newmarket Stakes last time out, she lost little in defeat that day, just the 7th time that she has been defeated in 25 career starts. She won this race in 2023 and is likely to be well supported on the betting sites to double up. 

Every Saturday at the moment is seeing some strong quality racing and this week is going to be no different. The top two-year-old in the country will be determined in the Golden Slipper while Imperatriz looks for a 10th Group 1 win at Moonee Valley.