Even before Menari got to Gerald Ryan's yard, he had big raps on him. So much so that he didn't even make it to the sales yard.

From the Golden Slipper nursery of Corumbene Stud, the Snitzel colt was supposed to go to the Magic Millions sale last year. With a good page and outstanding conformation, he would have been expected to bring north of $500,000.

"Then two weeks out we got the X-rays and there were a couple of little faults, little issues," owner George Altomonte said. "It would have been enough of a knock on him for him not to sell well.

"There was nothing we could do about it. We decided that he was such a nice colt we would keep him at the farm.

"He had a big stride and was comparable to Sebring, but I think a better type.

"You don't want to send a horse like him to the sale and get nothing for him. I didn't want to do that to the horse, so we decided to keep him."

It was a big decision not to cash him in but since he arrived on the track at Randwick on Magic Millions day, it has proven a wise decision.

Menari scored a strong win on debut then never got a clear crack in the Canonbury Stakes until inside the final furlong when a fast-closing second to Pariah after going back to last.

He arrives in the Skyline Stakes as favourite and the leading colt in Golden Slipper betting.

"You saw what happened last time, we never got to see the best of him because he was blocked for a run," trainer Gerald Ryan said. "When he got clear he was very strong.

"He has done well since and I just want him to get a clear run on Saturday to show what he can do."

Tm Clark will replace Josh Parr in the saddle for the Skyline and Ryan will be hoping the inside draw doesn't count against Menari again and he can win his way to the Golden Slipper.

If he does, he will only be living up to the opinion Corumbene stud master Toby Frazer had of him.

"I know a couple of blokes at another farm that have got $151 about him in the Slipper after listening to Toby," Ryan said.

Corumbene has produced a couple of Slipper winners in Sebring and Overreach while Frazer has also been a part of the early development of Marauding and Burst, but he has always been of the opinion that this colt was better than all of them.

"He is at the top of the tree," Frazer said. "He didn't have the X-rays to go with it but he just needed time.

"If we had him in [at the] Easter [sales] he might have been OK but he was a great colt to have, an outstanding colt.

"He has just kept improving with everything he did and I would have been disappointed if he didn't do what he has already done.

"He was just a lovely horse from the time he was on the ground. You get a bit biased when we rear these horses but he has always been special.

"I'm not going on Saturday but I will be there for the Golden Slipper if he is there because that's where I thought he would be."

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