Waterhouse and Bott unearth yet more juvenile talent at Rosehill
Tulloch Lodge strengthen their already ironclad grip on the juvenile ranks with fine two-year-old stakes double in Sydney
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s magical two-year-old onslaught grew only stronger when they swept yesterday’s juvenile features at Rosehill, with Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) streaking away to win the Widden Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m), while Prost (Snitzel) scored a tough victory in the Canonbury Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m).
Tulloch Lodge’s tenth and 11th individual two-year-old winners of what’s becoming a phenomenal 2023-24 led to bookmakers dramatically shortening odds on both for the $5 million Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) at Rosehill on March 23.
Lady Of Camelot, a homebred for Sir Owen Glenn’s Go Bloodstock, was turned into $11 for the world’s richest two-year-old race, after becoming the third stakes-winner from three runners for Miss Debutante (Fastnet Rock). A Listed winner for Team Waterhouse-Bott herself, Miss Debutante has also thrown quadruple Group 3 winner Queen of The Ball (I Am Invincible) and 2022 Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) victor Platinum Jubilee (Zoustar).
And Prost, a $650,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase from the draft of his breeders Baramul Stud, firmed to $17 as he continues along a similar programme to the sixth of Waterhouse’s record seven Slipper winners Vancouver (Medaglia D’Oro).
That gives Waterhouse-Bott four of the top eight horses in the market for the Slipper, also including Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) winner Storm Boy (Justify) – the current raging favourite at $3 – and Shangri La Express (Alabama Express) at $8.
Yesterday’s two winners not only caught the eye but set off flashing lights on the stopwatch, with Lady Of Camelot in particular drawing checks with the record books as she quickly became the shortest filly in Slipper betting by far.
She came within just three hundredths of a second of breaking the Rosehill track record that has stood for 17 years, set by Waterhouse’s own gelding Westicaro (Westbridge) as an autumn three-year-old on February 24, 2007.
Her time of 1:02.53 was 0.75 seconds, or more than four lengths, faster than the 1:03.25 set by Prost two races earlier – a stark difference even considering the track had been upgraded from a good 4 to a 3.
And still Prost set a class record, his 1:03.25 bettering the 1:03.60 of stablemate Red Resistance (Russian Revolution) in the same colts and geldings’ race last year.
Lady Of Camelot, starting a $1.60 favourite after resuming following a debut fourth in the Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) in September, assumed the standard Tulloch Lodge role in front, comfortably dismissing three would-be challengers in the first 200 metres of the straight, and – after jockey Tim Clark switched the whip from the right to the left hand – powering away to win by almost three lengths.
“She’s got so much natural speed,” said co-trainer Adrian Bott. “A brilliant filly to do it with and to do it for Sir Owen Glenn and his team at Go Bloodstock, they’ve been great supporters of us.
“She’s a beautifully bred filly, she’s well-related. [Miss Debutante’s] first two progeny have been stakes winning two-year-olds as well, so she becomes the third in just three foals. The dam is obviously very valuable.”
Bott was as impressed as anyone with how Lady Of Camelot shot away from her six rivals at the finish. Michael Freedman’s Gimcrack winner Manaal (Tassort) took second at $9.50, with Team Snowden debutante Wave Breaker (Pierata) a further long neck away in third at $15.
“She obviously looked to show plenty of natural speed,” Bott said of Lady Of Camelot. “But once Tim was able to change the whip over, she really found another gear and lengthened very impressively. That last furlong was very sharp.”
Clark said Lady Of Camelot “wouldn’t break ice, she’s so light on her feet”.
“She’s done a great job. She’s a really precocious filly,” he said. “She’s got such a good cruising speed, that’s what we wanted to use.
“The good thing about her though is she rests within herself when she’s there.
“She got a little bit lost up the straight still, so I think there’s still a little more to give. But she couldn’t have been any more impressive.”
Go Bloodstock now has Miss Debutante’s yearling colt by Flying Artie (Artie Schiller) and a filly foal by I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), while the mare was covered in mid-December by Zoustar (Northern Meteor).
Yesterday’s results extended Waterhouse’s records as the most successful trainer in each race, with Lady Of Camelot her fifth Widden victor, and Prost her sixth in the Canonbury.
Prost’s win, also under Clark, as $3.50 equal favourite, was remarkable for the stable in that he didn’t lead. While he bounded to the front on settling, with Team Snowden’s King of Roseau (Capitalist) seemingly sent out to set the pace by all means possible, Clark was then content to sit behind him.
The colt powered determinedly to the front at the 200-metre mark, and comfortably held off the fast-finishing but wayward James Harron colt Fearless (Pierata) to win by half a length.
Vancouver, Waterhouse’s last Slipper winner as a solo trainer in 2015, won the Breeders’ Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) and the Canonbury before taking the Todman Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) and making it four-from-four with his Slipper triumph.
Prost could manage only third in the Breeders’ Plate on debut as his stable completed the trifecta, with the first two placings filled by two more of its juvenile winners of the season in Espionage (Zoustar) and Straight Charge (Written By), who are currently at $21 and $26 for the Slipper.
But Prost, bought at the Magic Millions sale by Waterhouse and Bott, Kia Ora Stud and TFI, served notice that he was developing into one of the stable’s main Slipper hopes – albeit among many – with his dogged victory yesterday.
“He’s really strengthened up and mentally we saw a real professional performance from him there,” Bott said.
“After the Breeders’ Plate, discussing the options, being a Magic Millions purchase he had the option of going up there. But speaking with Kia Ora and everyone involved with this colt we wanted to give him the right time and just have a real good run up and a real good lead up towards the Golden Slipper.
“A nice prospect that he is, we wanted to give him the best possible chance we could and give him a nice break [after the Breeder’s Plate].
“Obviously today was very important for him to get some prize–money and get a good win on the board. We’ve got a bit of time now to work out what the path is going to be, how many runs he needs. But certainly we’ll see him again and all roads will be leading towards the Golden Slipper.”
While certain stablemates have forged stronger reputations, Bott said he and Waterhouse had had a glowing regard for Prost since early on.
“He’s shown [ability] right from the outset,” he said. “It was an excellent run in the Breeders’ Plate. We’ve seen how that form has well and truly stood up. Then he’s come here today and put in a very professional performance and run class record time. That’s a very good indication of his ability.”
Prost is the third winner from four to race, of Samarmeteors (Northern Meteor), a Melbourne city-winning half-sister to dual Group 1–winning Australian Champion Female Sprinter Samaready (More Than Ready).
Samarmeteors’ Toronado (High Chaparral) colt was bought by TFI from the Westbury Stud draft at the Gold Coast last month for $325,000. Samarmeteors now has a colt foal, born on December 19 from a January cover, by the remarkable but sub-fertile Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt).
Prost became Snitzel’s fourth two-year-old winner of the season, putting him equal-second nationally with Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice) on the juvenile sires’ table by winners, and second on earnings behind Justify (Scat Daddy). The Arrowfield titan is also the only sire with more than one two-year-old stakes-winner this term, following the win of Highness in Wyong’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1100m).
Lady Of Camelot became the third two-year-old winner of the season for Written Tycoon (Iglesia).
Godolphin’s well–supported would-be debutant Celerity (Exceed And Excel) was a late scratching from the Widden after dislodging jockey James McDonald behind the start then becoming fractious in the gates.
McDonald hurt his left foot when he was tossed off, but remounted – only to have Celerity jam the same foot in the starting stalls. The champion rider stood down from the remainder of his Rosehill engagements.
McDonald is booked to ride at Sha Tin today, including in the Hong Kong Classic Mile (Listed, 1600m). He will fly to Hong Kong and be examined by the club’s medical officer to assess whether he is fit enough to take up his engagements.