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Hugh Bowman got the feel of his Silver Slipper Stakes mount Astern on Tuesday and came away impressed by the potential of the exciting Godolphin youngster.

Bowman made a rare visit to Osborne Park, the private Godolphin training complex at Agnes Banks on Sydney’s western outskirts, to ride Astern in a workout.

“He is forward enough to win the Silver Slipper. He’s obviously not fully wound up but he’s fit,” Bowman told Sky Sports Radio.

Bowman is riding Astern in Saturday’s $250,000 Silver Slipper (1100m) at Rosehill after Godolphin’s stable jockey James McDonald elected to head to Melbourne to ride stablemate Exosphere in the $750,000 Lightning Stakes at Flemington.

Astern produced a high rating win when he made his debut overt 1000m at Randwick on December 5, a performance that urged trainer John O’Shea to label the Medaglia D’Oro colt as one of the best youngsters in the Godolphin stable.

He is also unbeaten in two trials, the most recent on February 8 when he enhanced his reputation by cruising to a comfortable two lengths win in a Warwick Farm heat over 800m that certainly pleased O’Shea.

"That was the sort of trial you like them to have. He did well," O'Shea said.

"He's shown he's one of the better colts. We've had the Silver Slipper in mind for him and he'll go there in good form."

Astern’s Randwick win saw him attain an initial Timeform rating of 109p, an excellent figure for a first starter.

O’Shea’s Golden Slipper Stakes stocks look strong as he currently has seven youngsters inside the top 24 on the latest order of entry.

The unbeaten Tessera is second on the list followed by Cohesion (6), Calliope (8), Telperion (13) and Morton’s Fork (18). Astern and Souchez are equal 21st while he has Medaille (29) and Chipanda (31) not far away.

Calliope has returned from Melbourne after O’Shea abandoned her Blue Diamond Stakes campaign.

Morton’s Fork, a Canterbury winner in November, will also resume in the Silver Slipper.

O’Shea has won eight two-year-old races so far this season. Considering that he won 32 juvenile races last season you can expect his numbers to ramp up quickly in the remaining months.