Trainer Adrian Bott gives Royal Patronage winning hope in 2025 Champions Mile in Hong Kong

Trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are chasing their first international win with Royal Patronage in the Group 1 Champions Mile in Hong Kong next week … and they’re brimming with confidence.

Trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are chasing their first international win with Royal Patronage in the Group 1 Champions Mile in Hong Kong next week.

Royal Patronage earned the trip to Hong Kong with his close second in the Doncaster Mile at Royal Randwick earlier this month.

The outstanding six-year-old left for Hong Kong on Friday and joins Mr Brightside as Australia’s representatives in the Sha Tin race on April 27.

Waterhouse and Bott have not had an overseas starter since they formed their training partnership nearly a decade ago.

But when Waterhouse trained on her own between 1992 and 2016, she had runners in England, France, United States, United Arab Emirates and New Zealand without success.

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“I’ve never had an overseas runner and Gai is always thinking internationally so we are both keen to take up the challenge with Royal Patronage,’’ Bott said.

“It would be quite special for Gai and I if he can run well.’’

Bott said Royal Patronage had had the perfect preparation for his showdown with some of the world’s best milers in Hong Kong.

“We feel Royal Patronage is the right type of horse and the timing is right to take him to Hong Kong,’’ Bott said.

“He will be going fourth-up into the Hong Kong race and is in top form. He won very well first-up at Group 1 level (Canterbury Stakes) over 1300m, he was very competitive in the George Ryder Stakes (fourth) at 1500m when he wasn’t beaten far around the right horses.

Royal Patronage WINS the G1 Canterbury Stakes in a really tough win! 🏆@GaiWaterhouse1pic.twitter.com/Dsi07LyLOH

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 8, 2025

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“Then he ran an excellent race in the Doncaster Mile (second) and last weekend we saw the form stand-up with the winner, Stefi Magnetica running a close second in the Queen of the Turf Stakes.

“Tom Kitten came off a seventh in the Doncaster to run third in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes behind Via Sistina and Dubai Honour so that is the best form around.’’

Bott said the three weeks between runs was ideal for Royal Patronage as the horse “races best on the fresh side”.

“Royal Patronage is very genuine, he makes his own luck racing on speed, and he’s tough, under pressure he responds, so we are looking forward to the Hong Kong race with him,’’ he said.

Originally published as Trainer Adrian Bott gives Royal Patronage winning hope in 2025 Champions Mile in Hong Kong