Trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott chase $3m Sunlight at Gold Coast and treble at Royal Randwick
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott might be concentrating on Lady Of Camelot’s bid for the $3 million Magic Millions Sunlight at the Gold Coast but their stable can still make a statement on home turf at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
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Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott might be concentrating on Lady Of Camelot’s bid for the $3 million Magic Millions Sunlight at the Gold Coast but their stable can still make a statement on home turf at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
The trainers are talking confidently of their Randwick chances with stable trio, Sly Boots, Soul Choice and Silent Impact.
Sly Boots is considered their best winning chance as reflected by TAB Fixed Odds betting which has the progressive four-year-old as the $4.20 favourite for the TAB Handicap (1600m).
Bott said Sly Boots had continued to improve since his impressive win at the Warwick Farm midweeks just before Christmas.
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“Sly Boots was second-up at Warwick Farm and I thought his win was very good,’’ Bott said.
“We are very happy with the way he has trained on since that win. We feel he has more upside and will be even better as he gets out to the mile.’’
Soul Choice hasn’t troubled the “scorers” in three runs back this campaign but Bott was expecting the mare to be very competitive in the Asahi Super Dry Handicap (2000m).
“I feel her last two runs have been quite good over unsuitable distances,’’ Bott said.
“She is getting to her right trip now and is at the peak of her preparation.’’
Bott felt the $21 being bet about Soul Choice was generous. “We feel she still has plenty of racing in her,’’ he said.
Silent Impact ($6.50) is second-up in the Randwick closer, the Ranvet Handicap (1500m).
Silent Impact gets the day off to a good start for favourite backers. ðŸ‘@clarkyhk@GaiWaterhouse1@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/5mxR427l6f
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 22, 2022
• EXPERT TIPS: Professional James Molony’s race-by-race tips and analysis for Randwick on Saturday
Bott said Silent Impact had also shown the benefit of recent racing and was getting out to his right distance range on Saturday.
“He was run off his feet first-up (ninth over 1300m) but he still worked home nicely,’’ Bott said.
“The step up to 1500m is in his favour and we expect him to improve sharply.’’
Waterhouse and Bott have spent most of this week at the Gold Coast inspecting yearlings at the Magic Millions sales complex and finetuning the preparations of Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot and unbeaten filly Gerringong ahead of the inaugural Magic Millions Sunlight (1100m) slot race.
Lady Of Camelot will run in the $3 million Sunlight on Jan 4th at @GCTurfClub. She is the $2.50 @tabcomau favourite and one to beat! ðŸ‡@mmsnippets@GaiWaterhouse1@gobloodstockauspic.twitter.com/8t3WynsDpF
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 17, 2024
Lady Of Camelot is the $2.80 favourite after a very good, albeit winless spring campaign that included a close fourth to Bella Nipotina in the Group 1 The Everest and minor placings at Group 1 level in the Moir Stakes and Coolmore Stud Stakes.
Gerringong is in her debut race preparation but her two wins have been so emphatic she commanded her place in the Sunlight field.
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HAYASUGI, who defeated Lady Of Camelot in the Blue Diamond last year, tragically passed after complications from recent surgery.
Trainer Clinton McDonald and the ownership group released a statement late on Thursday revealing the filly was euthanised earlier that day after suffering from “significant health struggles”.
“The ownership group is devastated by this difficult decision but is very proud of her achievements both on and off the field,’’ the statement read.
“On the field, she demonstrated her electric turn of foot and perseverance toward the finishing post, and undoubtedly among the best of all juveniles for the 2023-24 season.
“Off the field, she exhibited the best temperament and was as adorable as her ownership group.
“We are sure Hayasugi will be fondly remembered by the racing world for her clean sweep of the 2024 Blue Diamond series.’’
The Clinton McDonald stable has been rocked by the death of Blue Diamond winner Hayasugi.https://t.co/YmKDMvtlkQ
— Racenet (@RacenetTweets) January 2, 2025
Hayasugi won the Blue Diamond Prelude and Preview before finishing fast to beat subsequent Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot in the Group 1 Blue Diamond.
The brilliant Hayasugi won three of her eight starts and earned more than $1.7 million prizemoney.
• Ray Thomas’s Randwick tips, inside mail: Pow wows Freedmans to shelve retirement plans
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HALL of Fame trainer John Hawkes maintains luck in running is the key for consistent duo Allapercanto and Apex to get back into the winner’s list at Royal Randwick.
Allapercanto is coming back slightly in distance and will race in blinkers for the Captivant at Kia Ora Handicap (1400m).
The four-year-old mare has been placed in two of her three starts this campaign including her close third to Pier Pressure over the Randwick 1600m course three weeks ago.
Another great finish at Randwick, with Pier Pressure getting the photo!@Leesracing | @aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/8DwVJdTs5v
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 14, 2024
“I thought she should nearly have won the other day,’’ Hawkes said.
“She has a good chance in this sort of race. She’s a nice, little mare and it would be good to get a win for her owners.’’
Allapercanto is at $6 in latest betting behind the Bjorn Baker-trained Perfumist at $4.
Promising three-year-old Apex’s form around the likes of Private Life, Dance To The Boom and Codetta stands him in good stead for the Inglis Classic Sale Handicap (1100m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Apex ran third on debut at Warwick Farm last season behind Private Life who then trained on to win the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas during the spring carnival.
The opener at Warwick Farm goes to Private Life!@aus_turf_club@mcacajamez@cwallerracingpic.twitter.com/wMd50hIqyB
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 22, 2024
Team Hawkes spelled Apex after that race and the young sprinter resumed to win his maiden easily at Hawkesbury before successive seconds at Canterbury behind talented fillies Codetta and Dance To The Boom.
Codetta completed a hat-trick of wins when she beat Apex, and Dance To The Boom followed her Canterbury win by maintaining her unbeaten record in the Listed Gosford Guineas earlier this week.
“The form around Apex is good, he’s trained on well but the barrier is a concern,’’ Hawkes said.
Apex comes from last to win Race 6 at Hawkesbury! @HawkesRacingpic.twitter.com/hzfnMV8VGh
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 12, 2024
Apex is taking on older horses at Randwick but he is rated the $3.70 favourite in latest TAB Fixed Odds betting.
Team Hawkes also has promising two-year-old Devil Night as the $3.20 favourite to make a winning debut in the Drinkwise Plate (1000m).
• Ceolwulf vs. Via Sistina: Pride hunts Queen Elizabeth showdown
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CODETTA, the Michael Freedman-trained filly, looms as a stumbling block for the Hawkes stable again when she takes on Allapercanto.
Owned and bred by Debbie Kepitis, Codetta followed her win over Apex with an unlucky fourth behind Arriving Home two weeks ago.
“She is a tough, progressive filly who keeps improving,’’ Freedman said.
“This is a strong race on Saturday and we do have options next week but she’s going really well and will be in the mix if we go to Randwick.’’
😮 A cracking finish at Randwick with Arriving Home arriving at just the right moment to grab the win from stablemate Midnight Dynamite! @BBakerRacing | @KPMcEvoy | @aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/t4LT8OFNBe
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 21, 2024
• Tips from the big bookies: Saturday, January 4
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5 YEARS AGO
Mississippi Delta, trained by Grant and Alana Williams, had run fourth in the 2019 Perth Cup but returned to win the big race in 2020. Mississippi Delta was ridden by champion jockey Willie Pike and finished fast to beat Missile Launch, the 10th and final win of the mare’s 22-start career.
10 YEARS AGO
The Adam Durrant-trained Real Love lead all the way to win the Perth Cup under Pike. Real Love had dominated the summer carnival with wins in the Queen’s Cup and WA St Leger by taking out the Perth Cup by a comfortable margin from Red Blast.
20 YEARS AGO
It was Pike again with the first of his fourth Perth Cups when Crown Prosecutor, trained by Lindsey Smith, scored a career-best win edging out Free At Last. Pike won his fourth Perth Cup on Casino Seventeen last year.
Originally published as Trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott chase $3m Sunlight at Gold Coast and treble at Royal Randwick
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