‘Our colts seem to be the ones who hold the ace card’
Waterhouse and Bott to launch strong assault on Sydney’s first juvenile races of the season
Tulloch Lodge trained the trifecta in last year’s Breeders’ Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) and they may just do it again – if not the first four – as they debut what Gai Waterhouse believes is another “outstanding” batch of two-year-olds at Randwick on Saturday.
Australia’s dominant juvenile stable of 2023-24 unveils its newest wave as this season’s two-year-olds go on show, with the three top market fancies in the Breeders’ and a trio of fillies in the Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m).
The stable’s Breeders’ Plate favourite Tuscany (Zoustar) represents proven siring talent in Widden Stud’s flagbearer Zoustar (Northern Meteor), the early leader on Australia’s general sires’ table, as well as being the most expensive yearling yet for his leviathan ownership group led by China Horse Club and Newgate Farm.
With Tuscany heading the market for the nine-runner Breeders’ at around $2.60 on Friday, the next elects from team Waterhouse-Bott give a possible glimpse of the breeding future, being by two new season sires in King Kirk (Ole Kirk) North England (Farnan), both $4.50 chances on Friday.
Vinery’s Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon) also has a leading chance in the 14-runner Gimcrack in the Bjorn Baker-trained O’ Ole. On Friday she was a $6 third-favourite behind Ciaron Maher’s Icarian Dream (Blue Point) at $3.60 – but Maher told ANZ Bloodstock News he would be scratching that filly, plus his Breeders’ Plate acceptor Ripley (Too Darn Hot).
“The colt’s just a little bit off and the filly’s enzymes are up a bit, so I think she’s in season,” Maher said. “I’ll be taking both out.”
With the above runners – bar Ripley – impressive winners at Sydney’s first official two-year-old trials at Kensington on September 23, the sense of expectation from the Australian breeding scene is palpable ahead of Sydney’s first two juvenile races of the season. Furthermore, Melbourne’s version in the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (Listed, 1000m), is sandwiched in between.
Waterhouse, whose stable also saddles $10 hope Tempestuous (Extreme Choice) in the Breeders’, said merely being in Saturday’s two Randwick events was a significant pointer, with any results a bonus.
“It’s interesting – our filly who won the Golden Slipper, Lady Of Camelot, could only run fourth in the Gimcrack stakes,” she told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“It goes to show that just to be in the Gimcrack or the Breeders’ marks you as as exceptional two-year-old. Don’t worry if they run first or second or third or fourth; just to be able to be there marks them as special. It’s a good pointer for the future.”
That said, Waterhouse expects Tuscany to prove a force from the get go. That will be reassuring for his owners – China Horse Club, Newgate, Go Bloodstock and Trilogy, who paid $1.55 million for him at Inglis Easter.
The China Horse Club’s famed red with gold stars appeared at first glance to have been carried most impressively by North England at the Kensington trials, with his 2.46-length victory the only margin of the eight 850-metre heats exceeding 1.5 lengths.
But the Widden-bred Tuscany’s time of 49.11 seconds – equal fastest along with O’ Ole – in winning by 0.54 lengths had Waterhouse more enthused. It also helps show why James McDonald was so keen to ride the chestnut at the trials, and in the Breeders’.
“North England was impressive in that his margin was big. He’s done very well since then and [jockey] Tim Clark was very happy with him through this week,” Waterhouse said of the Zhongli Thoroughbreds-bred colt.
“But Tuscany ran the fastest time of the trials, and if you want to win two-year-old races, you’ve got to run time. So in my opinion, whatever beats Tuscany will win the Breeders Plate.
“Tuscany is a very natural horse. He was a very expensive yearling, and you can see why. He’s very light on his feet, which is what I look for in a two-year-old, he runs very fast time, he ticks all the boxes.
“He’s a gung ho sort of young horse who will take a stack of beating, and he’s got the man of the moment on his back, who would win on his grandmother’s broomstick.”
Waterhouse also sang the praises of the Ged Nolan-bred King Kirk, likening him to perhaps the finest of her record eight Golden Slipper winners. King Kirk, a $300,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast buy for My Racehorse, Tulloch Lodge and Belmont Bloodstock, clocked only 49.57 seconds in his 0.47-length trial win, but powered home in the fastest closing 600 metres of the day (33.32).
“He’s an outstanding horse. He reminds me quite a bit of Sebring,” Waterhouse said. “It’s a big wrap, but he’s certainly very talented. He’s got unlimited ability, he’s big and strong and is a very, very beautiful colt. He’ll fight the finish out.
“If I had to put ours in order, I’d say Tuscany, King Kirk, North England and Tempestuous.”
As fine a judge of two-year-olds as Australia has seen, Waterhouse is impressed with the initial runners of Ole Kirk and Kia Ora sire Farnan (Not A Single Doubt), her first Slipper winner in tandem with Bott when successful in the 2020 running on the race.
“We’ve got two Ole Kirks and they’re very sharp horses,” she said. “He’ll make a good sire because he stamps them well, and they’re very nice horses.
“And Farnan’s are very uncomplicated. His progeny just get on with the job, and are lovely horses.”
If there is one under-the-radar spoiler to the Waterhouse-Bott plan it could be the only colt entered from another renowned two-year-old trainer – Peter Snowden – in Raging Force (Cosmic Force).
A $150,000 Inglis Classic buy for Darby Racing, Raging Force won his trial with middling stats of 49.44 seconds and 0.49 lengths, but notably was the only horse all day to push up along the inside and win, beating Tempestuous into second.
“I like him,” Snowden told ANZ Bloodstock News. “He’s a nice horse, he trialled well, and he’s come on nicely from that. He’s very professional in everything he does, and I’m happy with him going into Saturday.”
Snowden goes into the Gimcrack with one of the more impressive fillies’ trial winners in Memo (Capitalist), who flew home late from second-last at the 200 metres to win by 1.37 lengths in 49.33.
“She’s done terrific since the trial; hasn’t missed a beat. She’ll need a bit of luck from the wide gate but she’s going well,” Snowden said of Memo, who drew gate 16 but would come in several after the emergencies come out.
“I wouldn’t put one of my two in front of the other. They’re both going well. But raceday will sort a few things out. Trials are only a guide; races are where you really find out.”
Bred by Love Racing, Memo was on Friday an $8.50 chance in a market set to be reshaped dramatically by Icarian Dream’s scratching. John Thompson’s Bel Merci (Extreme Choice) was at $5, a point behind the filly who beat her into second at the trials, O’Ole. Another eye-catching Baker-trained trial winner – James McDonald’s mount Strada Varenna (Street Boss) – was at $8.
In his excited state on leaving the trials, Baker might well have run over a black cat. The Gilgai Farm-bred O’ Ole drew barrier 15 for Rachel King, and the Emirates Park-bred Strada Varenna has 17 for McDonald.
“The gates aren’t great but that’s racing. When the scratchings come out maybe it opens up a touch,” Baker told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“O’ Ole’s got natural gatespeed, so we’d probably be positive with her. Strada Varenna got back in her trials, so we’ll probably replicate that.
“There’s not a lot between them, but I’m probably leaning towards O’ Ole. She’s always shown a lot. She was very good in the jump-out at home prior to the trial and her work’s been good since.
“But Strada Varenna trialled really well, and with McDonald on it’s a big positive.”
Baker cautioned punters not to overlook his third Gimcrack runner, Alabama Charm (Alabama Express). The Bowness Stud-bred filly was at $41 on Friday after an ostensibly moderate fourth in Memo’s trial, but Baker said better could be hoped for on Saturday.
“She’s not completely out of it,” he said. “She had to use a fair bit of petrol in that trial after she missed the jump. A lot will depend on if she does everything right, but she’s definitely improved.
“But it’s a tough race. You never quite know going there with these early two-year-olds.”
Waterhouse and Bott have three Gimcrack runners who each ran minor placings at the trials: Bellazaine (Zousain) at $9, Scrumptious (Tassort) at $14, and Jonathan Munz’s homebred Voting Rights (Snitzel) at $34.
Their odds suggest Tulloch Lodge’s colts are superior to their females, though Waterhouse does expect the fillies to be competitive.
“Our colts seem to be the ones who hold the ace card,” she said. “But this is a really creamy bunch. I’m not saying they’re better or worse than last year, but they’re a very, very talented group of young horses, and we’re privileged to be training them.”