He was simply too good last time out to ignore, and the Rosehill Guineas looks the perfect Group 1 feature for Pericles.
Having stamped himself as one to watch during the Spring Carnival, Pericles has clearly returned a better horse this time, and he takes his place on Saturday following a career-best effort and win in the Autumn Classic.
Fitter third-up and under James McDonald, I can’t find a reason why he won’t be in the finish.
Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip couldn’t have done a lot more without winning the Peter Young Stakes first-up this time, and he can record another Group 1 victory in the Ranvet Stakes
The Outstrip entire continued to improve with each start and as the bar was raised during his debut Australian prep last year, and finished a head second in the Caulfield Cup, before giving them a galloping lesson in the Race That Stops a Nation.
His fresh effort this time suggested he might have actually returned a better horse, and any improvement would find him extremely difficult to beat in something like this.
I thought that his performance in the Pago Pago last time suggested that the penny has really dropped, and I think that Shinzo can win the Golden Slipper.
Shinzo showed plenty of promise at the trials prior to debuting, and while racing greenly in the Canonbury Stakes first-up, he still managed to fill the minors behind Red Resistance.
That effort was followed up with another handy one for second in the Skyline Stakes, while further improvement resulted in a rather easy, and eye-catching win in the Pago Pago Stakes last time.
Shinzo is extremely well bred, by Snitzel and out of two-year-old Group 1 winner Samaready, and the booking of leading Irish jockey Ryan Moore obviously adds further confidence today.
Amenable has returned two smart efforts since resuming and can return to winning form in the Alister Clark Stakes.
The Lonhro colt returned to action with a nice performance for second, beaten less than half a length in the Autumn Stakes at Sandown last month, and despite being cramped for space a vital moment in the Australian Guineas last time, he was still only a length and a half behind Legarto in fifth.
Fitter third-up, dropping in class and getting further out in trip, I think that this is his race to lose.