Farnan wins Golden Slipper for Gai Waterhouse, Adrian Bott and Hugh Bowman
The grandstand might have been empty but champion jockey Hugh Bowman didn’t hold back with his celebrations after winning his first Golden Slipper on Farnan. WATCH THE RACE
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Champion jockey Hugh Bowman wasn’t about to let the empty grandstand take away from his Golden Slipper triumph.
As Bowman brought Farnan back to the winner’s stall, he throw his goggles into the vacant area normally teeming with fans then let out a guttural roar that echoed around the course.
“I’m beside myself to be honest, I really am,’’ Bowman said.
“There is a lack of atmosphere, as we can all see, but I can assure you it takes nothing away from the win for me.’’
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Bowman, famous as the rider of the mighty mare Winx, finally won the $3.5 million Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens.
It meant even more to Bowman that he was able to win the world’s richest juvenile race for trainer Gai Waterhouse after he rode her former top colt Meurice into third placing in the 2007 Golden Slipper.
Today we saw one of the most remarkable Golden Slippers ever run - a race that was watched the world over, but just a few hundred people on track...
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 21, 2020
Farnan wins the 2020 edition - to give Adrian Bott and @HugeBowman their 1st #GoldenSlipper, & @GaiWaterhouse1 her 7th! Amazing! pic.twitter.com/ZpwZf0OQXK
What does it feel like to win your first #GoldenSlipper?@HugeBowman throws his goggles to an imaginary crowd and Greg Radley ("I want to shake his hand but I can't!") spoke to Adrian Bott, who couldn't stop smiling! @GaiWaterhouse1 @atc_races pic.twitter.com/8iEKBnLIw5
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 21, 2020
“I was forever disappointed with myself on Meurice when I was doing the bulk of her riding,’’ Bowman said.
“So, to get the opportunity to repay her is very special. It’s great also for Adrian Bott — well he was more a part of this than Gai, to be honest — as he’s doing all the groundwork with the guidance of Gai.”
Bowman said he spoke to Waterhouse earlier in the day but the conversation was brief.
“Gai wished me luck and left it to me,’’ he said. “But she’s an amazing human being and what she has done for racing over the last four decades is amazing.
“I rode for her for 18 months and when the chance came to go to England in 2007, she was instrumental in me going. I think that was the turning point in my career.
“I went from being a prospective top jockey to coming home and winning the premiership.’’
Farnan ($4.80 favourite) gave trainer Gai Waterhouse a record seventh Golden Slipper and her first with co-trainer Adrian Bott when he led throughout to win by nearly two lengths from Away Game ($10) with Mamaragan ($16) a length away third.
This Golden Slipper was probably decided in the first 200m when Farnan began brilliantly from his wide barrier, crossed the field and found the fence before the first turn.
“He jumped so quickly for me at Randwick last start I knew if he jumped well we could use his pace to get over and then relax in front,’’ Bowman said.
“When I got on him and got around to the barriers, I could feel he was ready to go.
“I just felt in control the whole race. He is a very special colt, a very natural two-year-old, and he has speed to burn.’’
Bowman said Farnan’s ability to “harness his speed” provided the winning edge in the Golden Slipper.
“He is not one-dimensional, he is not running through the bridle, he is saving his energy,’’ Bownman said. “That is what you saw in the last 200m as the challenges came. I could sense Away Game coming but I hadn’t panicked and I knew he would find a bit.
“I didn’t see her so she must not have got within three-quarters of a length.’’
Bott admitted he didn’t think Farnan had the Golden Slipper in his keeping until the last 50m.
“When Hugh was able to cross early, I was very pleased with that,’’ Bott said.
“He held the colt together nicely until well into the straight then Away Game looked a real challenger and Farnan had to dig deep.
“He laid in under pressure and I was a bit worried when that happened but then he really rallied, picked himself up and asserted his dominance.’’
Farnan, purchased by Aquis Stud and Phoenix Thoroughbreds for $550,000 at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale last year, scored his fifth win from six starts and took his prizemoney to $2.45 million.
“He’s the ultimate professional with so much speed,’’ Bott said. “He can put himself into winning position and then can accelerate off a strong tempo. He breaks their hearts’’
Hall of Fame jockey Glen Boss was denied a third Golden Slipper when Away Game ran bravely for second. “She’s had an amazing preparation and she’s probably won the best part of $2.5 million so it’s not bad.”
Mamaragan was having only his second career start so his effort to finish third in a Golden Slipper was outstanding.
“I feel he’s a horse that is really going to go somewhere,’’ jockey Nash Rawiller said of Mamaragan. “What he has been able to achieve at just his second start is a phenomenal effort.”
BOTT JOINS GAI IN SLIPPER SPOTLIGHT
Gai Waterhouse had the Golden Slipper training record but this was Adrian Bott’s moment.
Racing’s first lady wasn’t at Rosehill Gardens to watch her brilliant Farnan streak away with the world’s richest juvenile race to give her a seventh Slipper trophy.
Instead, it was left to Bott, her training partner, to watch the strangest Golden Slipper of them all. Where normally more than 20,000 race fans would be cheering home favourite Farnan, the grandstand was empty due to the coronavirus outbreak – but try wiping the smile from Bott’s face.
“It’s a weird felling as you can’t celebrate with anyone around you,’’ Bott said.
“But this is fantastic, what a thrill. I’m very honoured and very humbled to do it alongside a legend like Gai.’’
Waterhouse missed the Golden Slipper not because of the global pandemic but she has been convalescing from recent surgery.
For the last month, Bott has steered the ship at Tulloch Lodge, putting Farnan and others through their paces at early morning trackwork.
In a mark of respect for her training partner, Waterhouse didn’t want to be on track and take away from Bott’s achievement if Farnan won.
Bott then made sure his co-trainer wasn’t forgotten after Farnan’s win.
“For Gai to have her seventh Golden Slipper, breaking the record she held with her father (the late Tommy Smith), to win this race with her and to do so with a colt of such quality, it is really special,’’ Bott said. “She makes it easy because she just expects you to win!
“In the lead-up, she was as confident as ever and maybe I worry a bit more.
Good wife â¦@GaiWaterhouse1â© is very happy watching Farnan win the Slipper, if disobeying the new 1.5 metre distance rule. Both of us are particularly delighted for Adrian and Jess Bott. pic.twitter.com/aenb62z2OF
— Rob Waterhouse (@RobWaterhouse) March 21, 2020
“But she has always been confident we had the right horse and that’s very comforting to have that person alongside you who has been there and done it before so many times.’’
Bott then found a quiet corner to call Waterhouse. The pair spoke for a few minutes.
After ending the call, Bott had tears in his eyes, a reflection of the pressure and emotion that has gone into Farnan’s Golden Slipper preparation.
“Farnan’s come back a different horse this campaign, he’s been quite special and he proved himself in the lead ups where he was very dominant and he was dominant again today,’’ Bott said.
“He showed that tactical speed that he has always had and was able to control the race.
“There was more pressure on today, that was the question that had to be asked to him, and he responded well. He was able to quicken away off that and put them away nicely.
“It’s a great feeling to be part of Golden Slipper history with Gai – I won’t forget this day.’’
DREAM DAY OUT FOR THOMPSON
Mamaragan finished third in the Golden Sliper but his trainer John Thompson still felt like a winner.
Thompson, wearing a pink tie with black spots that is the colours worn by Mamaragan’s Nash Rawiller, knows you can’t win them all in racing. This was his first Golden Slipper runner and the trainer felt vindicated when the colt ran so well.
“He’s done super against some more seasoned two-year-olds,” Thompson said.
“Barrier one was probably good for us but we were in there a long time and he just began a little bit slow and we were probably two lengths further back than what we originally planned.
“Nash didn’t panic, he just let the horse settle where he was comfortable.
“He was probably on the worse part of the track too but the horse was very gallant in defeat.
“To run like that in your second start in a race, in Nash’s words, we might have lost the battle but I reckon we will win the war.’’
Mamaragan was trying to create Golden Slipper history by winning the big race at just his second race start. His effort to finish third was outstanding. “We’ve got a nice horse on our hands,’’ Thompson said. “Ïf he pulls up well he will go to the Sires”.
Earlier, Thompson prepared Dreamforce to win the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes.
“It’s been pretty good,’’ said an understated Thompson, “I’d have to say this is the best day I’ve had as a trainer.’’
But the trainer baulked when asked if he would wear his “lucky Mamaragan tie” again.
“Put it this way, this isn’t the sort of tie I would pick out to wear but I felt I should because the owners couldn’t be on track today,’’ Thompson said. “Maybe I might wear it again.’’
SLIPPER BETTING
NOTABLE BETS ON FARNAN
$5000 @ $4.60
$5000 @ $4.40
$3000 @ $4.60
$2700 @ $4.60
$2000 the win / $1000 the place @ $4.80/$2 {March 20}
$2000 @ $4.80 {March 20}
$2000 @ $4.80
$500 @ $9 {February 22}
$500 @ $9 {February 23}
$100 @ $51 {February 22} ** two separate bets **
BETS OF NOTE ON OTHER RUNNERS
$8800 @ $5.50 on Tagaloa (Unplaced)
$4500 @ $23 on Prague (Unplaced)
$4000 @ $21 on Personal (Unplaced) {March 20}
$4000 @ $7 on Hanseatic (Unplaced) ** two separate bets **
$4000 @ $6.50 on Hanseatic (Unplaced)
$3000 @ $18 on Away Game (Second) {March 20}
$3000 @ $14 on Away Game (Second)
$2500 @ $13 on Hungry Heart (Unplaced)
$2000 @ $21 on See You Soon (Unplaced)
$2000 @ $18 on Away Game (Second) {March 20}
$333 @ $169.57 [collect $56,466.81] on Mamaragan (won Skyline Stakes at Randwick on February 29) | Mamaragan (third in Golden Slipper) {February 26}
$100 @ $249.89 [collect $24,989] on Mamaragan (won Skyline Stakes at Randwick on February 29) | Mamaragan (third in Golden Slipper) {February 29}
AT THE TRACK — SLIPPER DAY
Matt Jones
Below was the scene on Golden Slipper day last year after Winx won the George Ryder Stakes. We still talk about how Phar Lap lifted the spirits of Australians during the Great Depression in the 1930s. It’s a shame Winx wasn’t still racing because she no doubt would have had the same effect on the Aussie public during these uncertain times.
Virus threatens US racing
A worker in the American racing industry has already tested positive for coronavirus in New York. It could end racing in the States soon. “I think we’re living on borrowed time,” said trainer Tom Amoss, who put himself into self-quarantine after interacting with coronavirus positive New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton at a track last weekend. “We’re one jockey away from getting a positive test or getting sick to close our track down.” Prominent US-based jockeys Irad Ortiz Jr., Luis Saez and Tyler Gaffalione said they wouldn’t travel to Dubai because of coronavirus or quarantine fears, and Ortiz took it a step further by announcing he wouldn’t take any mounts right now.
Hotel for hoops
Considering what’s on the line, money-wise, for racing if the coronavirus stops it, why aren’t all Sydney jockeys in quarantine in a hotel? Book a floor out, leave them in there. The hotel would love the business. Maybe a cheap deal could have been struck in exchange for some free advertising on the silks. It would be a win-win for both parties if racing was to be the only sport to watch on TV.
Quality shines through in Country Championships
Is it possible that the Country Championships qualifiers are better quality races the than the Provincial heats? That’s the opinion of Adam Duggan – who is a provincial trainer. Duggan couldn’t qualifier Sir Elton in the Gosford qualifier on Thursday. “Some of the country heats are stronger than the provincial heats. That Tamworth heat was very strong,” Duggan said. “I believe it’s been consistently stronger than the provincial series. I don’t know why that is. There’s a lot of different horses from all over the bush and that might be why.
“Apart from Kris (Lees) and Kim (Waugh) not many provincial trainers have more than 50 horses.” Bernie Kelly won the Provincial Championships Final with Bobbing in 2019 and now that he’s moved to Scone he’s trying to make the final with the horse in Sunday’s Muswellbrook Wild Card race. This is what he said when told of Duggan’s comments. “I’m not going to argue with that,” Kelly said. “It’s a big call to say that but compared to other years if you put a lot of those country horses in the provincials (qualifiers) then they’d hold their own quite easy.”
Classy crop
We talk a lot about how good out three-year-old horses have been in 2019/20 and they are perfectly placed to lift the standard of Australian racing for years to come, especially in our weight-for-age races, which have lacked star power (apart from Winx) in recent seasons. “It’s the best crop of three-year-olds we’ve had in a long time,” Brandenburg’s trainer John Sargent said. “This is good for racing because these horses will be in all the best Group 1s next year from sprints to staying races.”
Kiwi trainers on the move
Last week, we saw something we haven’t seen before in a big race – all the horses in the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes were trained by New Zealanders. John Sargent was one of them and he can see a mini invasion of top-line Kiwi horseman to Australia in the future. The prizemoney here is so much better than across the ditch and the temptation to make the move to Australia will be high. “There could be more coming over,” Sargent said. “A few others will be looking at it, especially with how hard it is in New Zealand. If some of them get some backing they’ll be here for sure.”
Family first
While we’re fighting the coronavirus in Australia, there’s a lot of people in the racing industry who will be thinking about family overseas and one of them is Jean Van Overmeire, who rode in the Slipper. “My family are all still healthy so if they can stay healthy that would be fantastic,” he said.
Food for thought
Sky Racing’s Ron Dufficy obviously likes to eat out a lot. The actions imposed by restaurants due to the coronavirus exposed that. “I’d like to thank the 5000 restaurants I’ve given my email address to over the past 12 months for telling me they are now washing their knives, forks and chopsticks,” the Duff tweeted.
I’d like to thank the 5000 restaurant’s I’ve given my email address to over the past 12 months for telling me they are now washing their knives forks and chopsticks. #muchobliged
— Ron Dufficy (@DufficyRon) March 18, 2020
HORSES TO FOLLOW: Brandenburg (Doncaster), Dawn Passage (unlucky, should’ve won) Think It Over (he’s going to win a handy race one day)
ONES TO SACK: Primitivo (struggling), Alizee (she needs firmer tracks)
RIDE OF THE DAY: Tom Marquand on Young Rascal and Addeybb (he lifted them to victory)
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I don’t know how to do anything else so I’m glad we’re racing.” So are we, Brenton Avdulla.
Originally published as Farnan wins Golden Slipper for Gai Waterhouse, Adrian Bott and Hugh Bowman
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