Gai cracks first Oaks victory as Pinot outstays them
TRAINER Gai Waterhouse has won her first VRC Oaks with Pinot recording a dominant win in the fillies classic at Flemington.
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IT’S the Group 1 Gai Waterhouse has targeted for more than two decades and on Thursday the First Lady of Racing banked the $1 million Kennedy Oaks with fancied filly Pinot at Flemington.
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The exciting three-year-old daughter of champion sire Pierro outlasted rivals to claim the 2500m major ahead of Bring Me Roses and Hiyaam and Luvaluva.
Odds-on favourite Aloisia was a spent force half way down the straight after being strung out three-and-four wide early and over-racing in patches.
But Stephen Baster, who has formed a formidable combination this spring with the Waterhouse-Adrian Bott stable, rated Pinot perfectly despite bombing the start.
“Absolutely unbelievable,” Baster said.
“She went up in the air from the gates and lost two lengths.
“But she switched off and relaxed, so I went to plan B and went round them.
“It went against everything I’ve been taught as a jockey, but we got an easy half mile and when they came, I knew we still had some gears left.
“She’s just a dead set star.”
Baster has ridden eight winners for Waterhouse and Bott since Caulfield Guineas Day including a double on Melbourne Cup Day.
Waterhouse beamed post-race in the mounting yard praising the veteran jockey.
“I’ve never won it before, it’s so exciting, so exciting,” 133-time Group 1-winning trainer Waterhouse said.
“She kicked their brains in today. I love the way Steve took his time. The further she went the bigger the margin. She’s everything a trainer could dream about.
“Steve’s been such a blessing, we’ve had an association on and off over 20 years but he understands the way we train, he rides them the way we want them ridden.
“I just knew Steve would get her up there into a rhythm and I didn’t think the leader (Rimraam) could keep that speed up the whole way.”
“I’ve been riding for them for years, but this year has just been unbelievable,” Baster said.
Waterhouse and Bott have enjoyed tremendous success since joining forces last year with three Group 1s following Global Glamour’s wins in the 2016 Flight Stakes and Thousand Guineas.
But $200,000 yearling Pinot could be the pick of the yard, with the ATC Australian Oaks and Caulfield Cup possible targets.
Fancied filly Luvaluva loomed dangerously but was unable to sustain the run.
Bring Me Roses and Hiyaam closed late when the race was won as pacemakers Rimraam and Aloisia faded.
Pinot’s romp guaranteed one astute TAB customer $100,000 profit after placing a bet of $142,500 at $1.70 on the filly to place in the Oaks just minutes before the jump.
A fizzed-up Aloisia, who jumped $1.85 favourite after being as short as $1.50, had to be replated before the start and of the race.
“She was quite worked up (before the race),” trainer Aaron Purcell said. “Jumped well, probably too well, horse pushed up inside her and forced her wide and she probably didn’t settle well enough.
“I thought she had a good enough run in the middle of the race (but) I think what she did early took away from her finish.”
Both Pinot and Aloisia will target the ATC Australian Oaks at Randwick in the Sydney autumn.
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