Spring racing: Gai Waterhouse convinced Farnan is the best colt in Australia
Gai Waterhouse is never afraid to declare her horses and her latest spruik that star colt Farnan will go through the spring unbeaten will be given an early test in the Run To The Rose. Will he live up to the hype?
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“Farnan is the most dominant colt in Australia!”
It won’t surprise anyone this quote is from Gai Waterhouse. She is Farnan’s co-trainer and biggest fan.
As Farnan is being readied for his new season return in the Group 2 $200,000 Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens next Saturday, Waterhouse has been talking up her brilliant colt, reminding everyone of the three-year-old’s ability.
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Most trainers, including Waterhouse’s training partner, Adrian Bott, are more measured when discussing their runners because they don’t need reminding that racing is a big leveller. Black Caviar and Winx aside, there is no such thing as a certainty in this sport.
But Waterhouse is like her father, the late, great Tommy Smith. She says what she thinks, is not afraid to declare her horses, and is always good for a headline.
I remember being at Flemington trackwork during the 1996 Melbourne spring carnival when Waterhouse was holding a press conference and was asked what she thought of the Irish raider, Oscar Schindler, the early favourite for the Melbourne Cup.
“Oscar Schindler is 50 lengths superior to his rivals,’’ Waterhouse said. Her comment made front and back page news around the world.
She got that one wrong. Oscar Schindler jarred up on a firm Flemington track and finished back with the tailenders as Bart Cummings won his 10th Melbourne Cup with Saintly.
But Waterhouse has also got it right many times over the years. Perhaps the most famous was Epsom Day in 2011 when her colt Pierro won the Breeders’ Plate on debut.
“You just saw the Golden Slipper winner,’’ were Waterhouse’s first words to the media after the race.
Waterhouse remembered that comment when interviewed by The Sunday Telegraph: “I think most of the media laughed at me and said what a stupid statement,’’ she recalled.
“But when you have trained good horses, when you have trained Golden Slipper winners, you know what it takes to win these big races. I knew Pierro was going to be a champion.’’
Which brings us back to Farnan, the superstar colt who gave the trainer her record seventh Golden Slipper earlier this year. In the build-up to Farnan’s return to racing at Rosehill, Waterhouse has been having some fun at the media’s expense.
After the superstar colt won a recent barrier trial at Randwick in typically brilliant style, Waterhouse took to social media: “Farnan will not be beaten.”
As always, Waterhouse’s comment created plenty of debate with some media questioning the trainer. Racing’s first lady didn’t need any prompting to respond.
“Oh ye of little faith. When Pierro won the Breeders Plate, I declared he’d win the Golden Slipper and its history now. Farnan is the best colt in Australia, and I cannot see any reason why he should be defeated this preparation,’’ Waterhouse wrote on social media.
✈ï¸FARNAN will not be beaten 🥇 https://t.co/QkcXoQr1CK
— Gai Waterhouse (@GaiWaterhouse1) August 24, 2020
Oh ye of little faith 🤦ðŸ»â€â™€ï¸ When PIERRO won the Breeders Plate, I declared he’d win the Golden Slipper and it’s history now. FARNAN is the best colt in Australia, and I cannot see any reason why he should be defeated this preparation 🙌🼠https://t.co/o2Ba6kHF0u
— Gai Waterhouse (@GaiWaterhouse1) August 28, 2020
Waterhouse never backs away from her comments, either. She is convinced Farnan is going to pick up where he left off last autumn and dominate the spring carnival.
When I asked if Farnan was in the Pierro league, Waterhouse replied: “Very much so, Farnan’s almost identical to him!”
“Pierro was unbeaten as a two-year-old and Farnan only lost once,’’ she said. “Farnan, like Pierro, is a very unassuming colt. He’s lovely and placid, nothing worries him, he just gets on with the job. Those types of colts make the best racehorses and the best stallions.
“I can tell you Farnan has gone ahead in leaps and bounds, he’s doing everything right. You can see it in his trials and trackwork.’’
The Run To The Rose is shaping as a fascinating contest between some of the most promising three-year-olds in training with Farnan clashing with the likes of Mamaragan, King’s Legacy, Peltzer, Doubtland and Rothfire.
“Farnan is up against some good three-year-olds but most of these are the horses he has beaten as two-year-olds,’’ Waterhouse said. “This race is a lovely stepping stone into the Golden Rose (1400m, Rosehill, September 26).’’
Gun Queensland three-year-old Rothfire is the wild card. He is making his Sydney debut in the Run To The Rose so his first clash with Farnan will be interesting.
Rothfire was locked in by slot-holders miRunners on Friday as their starter in the $15 million The TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 17, a race that Waterhouse has on her radar with Farnan.
Champion jockey Hugh Bowman is Farnan’s regular jockey but if the colt does get selected for The Everest, Waterhouse and Bott will need a new rider as Bowman can’t make 53kg, which is weight-for-age for a three-year-old.
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But Waterhouse won’t have any problem finding a jockey for Farnan in The Everest if needed as she has been inundated with calls from lightweight riders – even some who are retired like former top jockey Stephen Baster, who is now working in real estate in Melbourne.
“When I rang Stephen during the week, I told him I was calling to book him for Farnan in The Everest,’’ she said. “It was so funny because Stephen, quick as a flash, said only Farnan would bring him back to riding!
“A three-year-old will win The Everest. The young horse with the light weight is so hard to beat like Yes Yes Yes, he was outstanding in The Everest last year, he donkey-licked them.
“I’m hoping Farnan can do what Yes Yes Yes did and go to The Everest after running in the Golden Rose.’’
Originally published as Spring racing: Gai Waterhouse convinced Farnan is the best colt in Australia