If Chris Waller isn’t concerned by Wodeton’s outside draw in the Silver Slipper, he certainly isn’t showing it.

The renowned trainer kept his cool when the Golden Slipper 2025 favourite came up with gate 11 for Saturday’s 1100m race, which places him next to one of the other major contenders, North England.

“There’s a lot of speed in the race,” Waller remarked.

“He is a pretty sensible horse and he’s got enough speed to get himself out of trouble if he needs to.”

Wodeton made an impressive debut last month, overcoming an awkward draw to score a dominant win, positioning himself as one of the leading contenders for the Golden Slipper (1200m).

After that, he spent a week at Coolmore’s property to recharge before Waller kept him in shape with a quiet yet impressive barrier trial.

“He had a week back at Coolmore then steady work to the trial, keeping him fresh at the same time as making sure he’s not getting away from us,” Waller explained.

“He has always shown us talent from day one. We thought he would be hard to beat first-up but not win in the manner that he did.”

The Silver Slipper (1100m) is set to be a key race in the buildup to the **Golden Slipper**, with four of the top seven horses in betting for the $5 million event expected to compete.

In addition to Wodeton and North England, Bel Merci, the winner of the Gimcrack Stakes, and West Of Swindon, the runner-up in the Golden Gift, will also race on Saturday, with all horses priced at $17 or less for next month’s Group 1.

Waller is excited for the upcoming races as Sydney’s autumn carnival heats up.

“There is some big racing coming up in the next few weeks. Last Saturday we got a taste of it and the next few weeks is fireworks,” he said.

Despite the outside draw, Wodeton remains the betting sites $2.15 favourite for the Silver Slipper, ahead of Bel Merci ($4), North England ($5.50), and West Of Swindon ($6).