Golden Slipper: Waterhouse, Bott out to ice their red-letter juvenile season

Posted by RS NewsWire at 5:05pm on March 21st

Adrian Bott says it is a case of ‘job not done yet’ as he and training partner Gai Waterhouse prepare a team of seven youngsters for the richest two-year-old race in the world.

While most racing fans only ever dream of having a runner in the $5 million Golden Slipper (1200m), Waterhouse and Bott will saddle-up at least six at Rosehill on Saturday, seven if emergency Espionage can sneak into the field.

The pair has been enjoying a phenomenal season, producing the winners of 21 juvenile races, eight of them at black-type level.

Leading the charge is undefeated colt and popular favourite Storm Boy, who is ably supported by stablemates Straight Charge, Prost, Shangri La Express, Fully Lit and Lady Of Camelot.

It is a line up to hang your hat on, but Bott says qualifying youngsters for the race is only step one.

Apart from Lady Of Camelot, their remaining runners are colts whose values will increase dramatically if they can salute in the stallion-shaping race, none more so than Storm Boy’s.

“Like any business or competition or sporting event, you want to be competing at the highest level and at the pinnacle of the sport,” Bott said.

“To an extent, that has got to be the Golden Slipper for racing and two-year-olds.

“So to be here is certainly satisfying, but it’s not fully complete unless we can get the job done and be winning at the top level.

“Sometimes just being here is not close enough. We’ve still got a big job to do on Saturday.”

Waterhouse has won a phenomenal seven Golden Slippers, her most recent coming in 2020 when Farnan outclassed his rivals.

It marked Bott’s first success in the juvenile showpiece, but it came in front of empty grand stands due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown rules.

Celebrations were muted, but Bott said that didn’t make it any less special.

“Right up until the Slipper, everything was normal, and then the Sipper was the first meeting where there were no crowds,” Bott recalled.

“But it’s nice to win it any year, setting or no setting. That hasn’t changed my feeling toward the race having won it then, and it would be very special if we could do it again.”

Storm Boy is a solid $2.30 favourite with betting apps to give Waterhouse an eighth Golden Slipper and Bott a second and most of the focus has been on the market leader.

However, Bott is upbeat about the stable’s remaining runners, adamant all will arrive at Rosehill in top shape, including their next two most highly rated in the market, the well-backed Lady Of Camelot ($10 into $7.50) and Straight Charge ($12).

“We saw a very sharp trial from her in between runs and she’s got the perfect draw (barrier 5) to try and execute, very similar to how she did in that trial,” Bott said of Lady Of Camelot.

“She is certainly flying under the radar to an extent.

“Straight Charge….he has been there every step of the way, and he has hardly put a foot wrong.

“He has run in all the right races and he’s got a very good racing pattern so he is going to give them something to catch as well.”

But can any of the other 15 runners beat Storm Boy?

Maybe not, and for Bott and Waterhouse, that would be ‘job done’.

More Racing News

Vein Girl impresses in rich Magic Millions The Debut win

Vein Girl has put herself in contention for next month’s $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic with a strong win on debut under lights at the Gold Coast’s first night meeting. The Chris and Corey Munce-trained Vein Girl was sent out the $3.50 favourite with betting sites in Friday night’s $250,000...

Dec 21st

Pallaton races into 2025 Golden Slipper contention

Pallaton has stamped himself as a two-year-old colt to watch heading into 2025 with an impressive debut win at Randwick. Trained by Michael Freedman and ridden by Tommy Berry, Pallaton raced to a 2-3/4-length victory in Saturday’s Shinzo @ Coolmore Plate (1000m) and firmed to be among the early favourites in Golden Slipper...

Dec 21st

Arriving Home set to target the Magic Millions Guineas 2025

Trainer Bjorn Baker would love to get lightly raced filly Arriving Home into the Magic Millions Guineas next month after the three-year-old remained unbeaten with a tough win at Randwick. Stepping up from a midweek city maiden win at Warwick Farm on debut earlier this month into Saturday’s Petaluma Handicap (1300m) – a...

Dec 21st

Here To Shock gives Lindsay Park quinella in The Supernova

Ben, Will & Jd Hayes had the numbers two and three seed to knock off race-favourite Nadal in Saturday’s $1 million The Supernova (1400m) at Pakenham and did just that, with Here To Shock, ridden by Daniel Stackhouse, edging stablemate Arkansaw Kid in a thrilling stable quinella. Here To Shock ($4.60) trailed a strong...

Dec 21st

The Kings horse Gilded Water wins at Randwick

Imported stayer Gilded Water has made it back-to-back victories in Australia and has given his owner, His Majesty King Charles III, a winner at Royal Randwick. The King’s racing manager John Warren was on track at Randwick on Saturday as the Ciaron Maher-trained Gilded Water raced to a convincing victory in the...

Dec 21st

Goldman digs deep in the Pakenham Cup 2024

One time Melbourne Cup favourite, Goldman has notched up his fourth win in Australia, leading throughout to take the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) under Beau Mertens. Jumping an $8.50 chance, Goldman’s staying prowess was on show as he kicked back to deny Grand Pierro ($19) by a long head, with $3.30 betting site...

Dec 21st

Kevin Daffy happy to wait with Oh Too Good ahead of VOBIS Gold Bullion

Trainer Kevin Daffy says there is still plenty of time to chase the big league with his lightly-raced mare Oh Too Good. A winner of four of her seven starts with three runner-up finishes as well, Oh Too Hard runs in the VOBIS Gold Bullion (1400m) at Pakenham on Saturday. Daffy was sounded...

Dec 20th

Bedggood chases rich The Supernova prize

Two rising nine-year-olds, both resuming, will give Gavin Bedggood a potential shot at his biggest payday as a trainer. A former jockey, Bedggood has been plying his trade as a trainer since 2017 and during the recent Melbourne Spring Carnival prepared Mornington Glory to land his first Group 1 success. Just Folk and Windstorm, both...

Dec 20th

Collett hoping for Dream Brisbane raid in BJ McLachlan Stakes and Magic Millions Falvelon

A pair of promising two-year-olds from the Ciaron Maher stable have lured top Sydney hoop Jason Collett to Queensland for back-to-back meetings this weekend. Collett is heading north to partner filly Life After Love in the $250,000 Magic Millions The Debut (1000m) at the Gold Coast on Friday night and her Maher-trained stablemate...

Dec 20th

Theodore aims to keep strike-rate going in Christmas Cup at Murray Bridge

Trainer Stephen Theodore is looking to Divine Fire keeping his impressive strike-rate going when she shoots for a winning hat-trick on Saturday. After victories at Morphettville and Gawler, Divine Fire runs in the Christmas Cup (1600m) at Murray Bridge with Jacob Opperman in the saddle. Since returning to training ranks at the start of...

Dec 20th