Racing Confidential: Trainer Gai Waterhouse plots two-state Group 1 ambush with Eliyass in 2024 Caulfield Cup and Storm Boy, Lady of Camelot in 2024 The Everest
Hall of Fame trainer Gai Waterhouse has never lacked confidence when it comes to her horses … and that was never more evident than when she assessed her chances of securing a unique The Everest-Caulfield Cup double on Saturday.
Gai Waterhouse exuded her trademark confidence with an optimistic appraisal of the winning chances of Storm Boy and Lady Of Camelot in the Group 1 $20 million The TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
The Hall of Fame trainer also had a similar upbeat take on how her stayer Eliyass can overcome the extreme outside barrier in the Group 1 $5 million Caulfield Cup (2400m).
It could be a day to remember for Tulloch Lodge with Waterhouse and her co-trainer Adrian Bott maintaining their three-year-olds will be hard to beat in The Everest.
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Storm Boy, who looks the likely leader in the world’s richest turf race, is at $12 while Lady Of Camelot is the rank outsider at $41 in latest TAB Fixed Odds betting.
“Even though Storm Boy was beaten the other day in the Golden Rose, he has been trained for speed and I can’t see any reason why he can’t win an Everest,’’ Waterhouse said.
“He has been the dominant colt all his career and I know Adrian can’t fault the horse.’’
Lady Of Camelot won the Golden Slipper earlier this year – with Storm Boy third – yet she is at huge odds for The Everest which underlines the sheer quality of the field.
But Waterhouse maintains Lady Of Camelot has the class and ability to be “fighting out the finish”.
“Lady Of Camelot did win the Golden Slipper so you can’t take anything away from her,’’ Waterhouse said.
“Her run in the Moir Stakes first-up … if she wins that then everyone would have her right in contention.’’
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Waterhouse is chasing her first win in The Everest but she has won a Caulfield Cup previously with Descarado in 2010.
Eliyass, her former French stayer, has eased out to $7 for the Caulfield Cup after drawing barrier 18.
But, in recent years, Incentivise (2021) and Dunaden (2012) both came out of that outside gate to win the Caulfield Cup and Waterhouse isn’t overly concerned about the starting position for Eliyass.
“I’m not worried about the barrier, you can’t change it so there is no point worrying about it,’’ she said.
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“What I can tell you is that I’m over the moon with Eliyass, he’s a very happy horse.
“He was terrific in the Turnbull Stakes (third to Via Sistina) where he had a bit of a look around when he got to the front.
“But he shouldn’t do that at Caulfield. We took him over there the other day and he’s had a look at the track now.
“Caulfield Cups are not easy to win but I think Eliyass is well weighted (53kg) and he’s a stayer on the up.’’
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FORM guru Gary Crispe has landed on Eliyass to win the Caulfield Cup.
Crispe said Eliyass’ Timeform ratings profile has the former French stayer with a peak figure of 119 and rising, indicating the six-year-old is the horse to beat in the 2400m staying test.
“I feel Eliyass has come through the right race – finishing third in the Turnbull Stakes last start – to be at his top for the Caulfield Cup,’’ Crispe said.
“Eliyass had a lot harder run that day than he had in his Sydney wins and I think his third to Via Sistina and Buckaroo will toughen him for this race.
“I concede he is untried at 2400m and has to overcome the outside barrier (18) but he should be able to come across with Deny Knowledge and get a nice trail.
“He has the potential and ratings to be very competitive in the Caulfield Cup.’’
Yasss!
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 21, 2024
A great finish to the G3 Kingston Town Stakes, with Eliyass adding another win to his impressive record! Bring on the Metrop!@clarkyhk | @GaiWaterhouse1pic.twitter.com/NGW067HC04
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Crispe said the in-form duo of Buckaroo and Deny Knowledge would again be hard to beat.
“Buckaroo was beaten by a very good horse in Via Sistina last start,’’ Crispe said.
“He has won two of his last three starts, has never been going better and has to be right in the mix.
“Deny Knowledge is up to 2400m but her win in the Might And Power Stakes last week was very good and she gets into the Cup with a featherweight of 50.5kg.’’
Crispe said Godolphin mare Zardozi had improved with every run this spring and conceded she was a legitimate winning chance.
Damien Oliver's Caulfield Cup tips, preview
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DEBBIE Kepitis, who races Fangirl, is under no illusions about the task confronting her mare in the Group 1 $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick.
“There is a little horse called Pride Of Jenni, she takes off (in the lead) and defies what usually happens in a race,’’ Kepitis said.
“But Fangirl doesn’t have that racing habit. She has to stick to what she is good at and we have to hope she can do the right thing on the day.’’
Fangirl, who won the King Charles III Stakes last year, is at $3.90 behind Pride Of Jenni, the $2 favourite. The two super mares dominate betting with Epsom Handicap winner Ceolwulf the only other runner under double figures at $8.
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EVEREST slot-holder Henry Field revealed trainer Bjorn Baker was initially trying to push the case for Overpass to be included in the rich Royal Randwick race.
Baker had been impressed by Stefi Magnetica’s comeback effort when she closed fast to just miss behind I Am Me in The Shorts and contacted Baker about the trainer’s Everest plans.
Baker initially thought Field was asking about Overpass and made a strong “sales pitch” for that sprinter.
Field finally corrected the trainer and said he was actually interested in Stefi Magnetica.
“Bjorn switched immediately to Stefi Magnetica and began talking her up for The Everest,’’ Field revealed at the Racing NSW Chairman’s Everest Dinner on Thursday night.
The Newgate Farm supremo didn’t need a lot of convincing before locking in Stefi Magnetica for the Everest slot he shares with GPI Racing.
Field is hoping for a second successive Everest win after Think About It scored last year.
Think About It won the Stradbroke earlier on the way to his Everest triumph and Stefi Magnetica is chasing a similar Group 1 double.
“I hope there is enough tempo but she has drawn well and should get a nice run,’’ Field said.
“But the Everest field is very strong, there’s the best older sprinters, the best mares and the best three-year-olds – the race has great depth, it is incredibly open.’’
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5 YEARS AGO
Yes Yes Yes, ridden by Glen Boss, became the first three-year-old to win The Everest when he unleashed a brilliant burst of acceleration to beat Santa Ana Lane and Trekking. The Chris Waller-trained colt ran a stunning 1m 7.32s for the Randwick 1200m which still stands as a race and course record. The King Charles III Stakes was known as the George Main Stakes and was won by Godolphin’s Avilius. Mer De Glace became the second Japanese stayer to win the Caulfield Cup.
10 YEARS AGO
Chris Waller’s Sacred Falls, a dual Doncaster winner, was an outstanding Randwick miler and added another Group 1 win to his record when he took out the George Main Stakes, beating stablemate Royal Descent. Admire Rakti, ridden by Zac Purton, broke new ground for Japanese stayers when he won the Caulfield Cup.
20 YEARS AGO
Gai Waterhouse’s Grand Armee, who upset champion Lonhro’s farewell in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes earlier in the year, scored a strong win over King’s Chapel in the George Main Stakes. Grand Armee was then a luckless fourth in the Cox Plate before winning the Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington. Elvstroem followed his wins in the Underwood Stakes and Turnbull Stakes to win a classic Caulfield Cup, holding off champion mare Makybe Diva in a thrilling finish.
Originally published as Racing Confidential: Trainer Gai Waterhouse plots two-state Group 1 ambush with Eliyass in 2024 Caulfield Cup and Storm Boy, Lady of Camelot in 2024 The Everest
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