Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Race-Day Recap
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott combined for a second joint victory in the G1 Golden Slipper S. - the eighth of Waterhouse's own career - as favourite Storm Boy (Justify {USA}) was relegated to third by Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon), a homebred filly from Sir Owen Glenn's Go Bloodstock.
Growing Empire provided his sire, Zoustar, with his 50th stakes winner when successful in the Listed Valley Pearl S. at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Nucleozor (Almanzor) took his career record to two-from-two with a 3.3l success at Riccarton Park in New Zealand on Saturday.
The pre-race drama surrounding the beginning of Race 2 at Morphettville in South Australia wasn’t enough to stop the Phillip Stokes-trained All Woke (All Too Hard) from prevailing on debut.
The Lawrie Mayfield-Smith-trained Zouna (Zousain) was too slick over 1000 metres at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Bott plays the diplomat with embarrassment of riches
The powerhouse combination of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott teamed up for their first joint Slipper winner just four years ago with Farnan, and such is their dominance in racing’s juvenile features that they fielded no fewer than six of Saturday’s field. That tipped Waterhouse well over a half century of lifetime Slipper runners - more than enough experience for the master trainer to know that it doesn’t always go to plan.
It’s fair to say that the pre-race talk had concentrated on the stable’s favourite, Storm Boy (Justify {USA}), but it was their sole filly in the race, Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon), who emerged from the pack late under Blake Shinn to deny Coleman (Pierata) by 0.2l, with Storm Boy far from disgraced a further 1.3l back in third having missed the kick early on.
Lady Of Camelot wins the G1 Golden Slipper | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
The significance of training a Slipper winner for Sir Owen Glenn, who bred and races Lady Of Camelot under his Go Bloodstock banner (one of just three homebreds in the field), was not lost on Bott.
“I owe so much to my training partner in Gai Waterhouse,” he said. “I can’t tell you how special it is to do it alongside her.
“To be entrusted with a valuable filly like this (by Sir Owen) at the start of my career in the partnership and to win another Slipper alongside Gai…it’s been fantastic.”
“To be entrusted with a valuable filly like this (by Sir Owen) at the start of my career in the partnership and to win another Slipper alongside Gai…it’s been fantastic.” - Adrian Bott
A Slipper victory is a feather in the cap of Sir Owen’s Fastnet Rock mare Miss Debutante. With Lady Of Camelot just her third named foal, the first is the tough G3 Widden S. winner Queen Of The Ball (I Am Invincible) whilst the second was another top juvenile for Waterhouse and Bott in their G3 Gimcrack S. winner and G2 Silver Slipper S. runner-up Platinum Jubilee (Zoustar).
With such a show of force in a race that garners so much attention, both before and after its running, the art of diplomacy luckily seems to come naturally to Bott. So far this season, he and Waterhouse have won 22 juvenile races at an incredible strike rate of 28.6 per cent (with 61 per cent in the placings).
Steve, Morgan and Nixie O’Connor with Blake Shinn | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
However, whittled down from the stable’s 100 nominations in the race, Bott was still left with five sets of owners to commiserate with, far outnumbering one celebratory party. Confirming that “no decision will be made” on the day as to where Lady Of Camelot will go next, he lamented the luck of Storm Boy, whose status as a son of Coolmore's booming young sire Justify (USA) would have left his own future at stud in little doubt had the tables been turned.
“I think he’s run a very good race under the circumstances, (it’s) a shame we couldn’t get the result for him because he’s got such talent, but we’ll look to push on with him and he can no doubt bounce back for us.”
First winning the world’s richest 2-year-old race back in 2016 aboard Capitalist - Written Tycoon's only other winner of the race - winning jockey Blake Shinn had plenty to thank his trainers for in gaining his second victory in the race having returned from Hong Kong’s ranks.
Lady Of Camelot (yellow silks) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“To do it for them, it’s very special,” he said. “...you come to a Golden Slipper, most horses are going well into the race and you just need a bit of luck.
“I’m lucky in the respect that I’ve got Gai and Adrian training arguably the best 2-year-olds in the world. (I’m) just honoured to get the ride.
“Sir Owen Glenn, Newgate Farm who raised her, Steve O’Connor who works for Sir Owen - it’s a big team effort.”
Gai Waterhouse | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Having been denied in the G1 Blue Diamond S., Lady Of Camelot’s Slipper win brings her sire Written Tycoon to 15 individual Group 1 winners - his second Group 1-winning juvenile of the season following Velocious’ win in the Sistema S. over in New Zealand.
Now the proud flag-bearer for Yulong Stud, the circuitous route taken by the 21-year-old sire to elite status has been well documented. Secured relatively recently by Yulong to bring proven quality in at the start of their breeding journey, Written Tycoon was standing previously at Arrowfield when he covered Miss Debutante in 2020, meaning nine of the past 21 Slipper winners have been conceived at Arrowfield.
Nine of the past 21 Slipper winners have been conceived at Arrowfield.
In a worrying conclusion, Bott reflected on his time so far alongside racing’s First Lady.
“She’s passed on so much,” he said. “It took me a few years to catch on to the 2-year-olds and this particular race, and I feel each year we’re building momentum in that regard.
“Now, we’ve just got hunger for more next year...”
Kindergarten on the cards for Empire?
Growing Empire, carrying the bottle green silks of Yuesheng Zhang’s Yulong operation, provided his Widden Stud-based sire Zoustar with his 50th stakes winner when successful in the Listed Valley Pearl S. at Moonee Valley.
The colt, trained by Ciaron Maher, benefitted from a fine ride by Ethan Brown to defeat Bittercreek (Snitzel) and Sassy Jenni (Shalaa {Ire}).
Growing Empire was one of two runners for the Maher camp, with the favoured Spyware (Trapeze Artist) finding little luck in the 1200 metre contest.
It was the second success in the Listed Valley Pearl S. (formerly known as the St Albans S.) for Maher stable, having won with the progressive Brave Mead (Brave Smash {Jpn}) in 2023.
The son of Zoustar was having his second start, having debuted at Randwick-Kensington, finishing second behind the fellow Yulong-owned Chateau Miraval (Zousain).
Growing Empire wins the Listed Valley Pearl S. on Saturday | Image courtesy of Inglis
Ciaron Maher’s assistant trainer, Jack Turnbull, told Racing.com post-race, “I was impressed with how Growing Empire travelled throughout the run because he’s actually quite green and new to racing.
“For a young horse to travel from Sydney this week to race at a track (Moonee Valley) he’s never been at and wear the blinkers the first time, he was impressive.
“We possibly may return Growing Empire to Sydney and look at the G3 Kindergarten S.”
Jack Turnbull
Growing Empire is the second foal from the five-time winner, Miles Of Krishan, a daughter of Snitzel. Miles Of Krishan is the dam of Dancing Alone (I Am Invincible), who has won six races and placed in the G3 Furphy Sprint.
Her half-sister Menagerie (Zoustar) is the dam of the recent G3 Black Opal S. victor Holmes A Court (Capitalist). Furthermore, Growing Empire descends from the family of the Group 1 winners Terravista (Captain Rio {GB}) and Tiger Tees (NZ) (Dubawi {Ire}).
“For a young horse to travel from Sydney this week to race at a track (Moonee Valley) he’s never been at and wear the blinkers the first time, he was impressive.” - Jack Turnbull
Growing Empire was a $700,000 purchase by Yulong from the draft of Vinery Stud at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Son of Almanzor remains unbeaten
Nucleozor (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) took his career record to two-from-two with a 3.3l success at Riccarton Park in New Zealand on Saturday.
The 2-year-old gelding, trained by Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, won at Wingatui on debut over 820 metres, but with Niranjan Parmar in the saddle took the step up to 1000 metres with aplomb.
Nucleozor defeated his stablemate Discretion Rules (Alabama Express) and Lil Zena (NZ) (U S Navy Flag {USA}), who was a further 4.1l away in third.
The son of Almanzor (Fr) is from the Burgundy (NZ) mare Nucleonic (NZ), who is also the dam of the G1 New Zealand Oaks-placed Qali Al Farrasha (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}). Running in the familiar Tangerine silks, he is a homebred for Te Akau Stud in partnership with Westonlea Bloodstock.
Pre-race drama no obstacle for All Woke
The pre-race drama surrounding the beginning of Race 2 at Morphettville in South Australia wasn’t enough to stop the Phillip Stokes-trained All Woke (All Too Hard) from prevailing on debut.
Fellow debutant Strasbeau (Strasbourg) from the Richard and Chantelle Jolly yard anticipated the jump of the 1050 metre contest, burst through the barriers early and travelled some distance before being reigned in by the clerk of the course horses.
All Woke as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Strasbeau was subsequently scratched from the event after his antics.
All Woke, ridden by Lachlan Neindorf, won narrowly from Pure Aqua (Headwater) and In Love (Hellbent).
The daughter of All Too Hard is the first foal from Think Out Loud, a winning daughter of So You Think (NZ), who is a half-sister to the Group 2 winner Miss Gunpowder (Pendragon {NZ}).
All Woke was a $160,000 purchase by DGR Thoroughbred Services (FBAA) and Phillip Stokes Racing from the draft of Tyreel Stud at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
A Lot sires first stakes winner in Supremacy
On Saturday at Ascot, the Joshua Krispyn-trained Sir Dreamalot provided his sire, A Lot (USA), a son of Tapit (USA), with his first stakes winner in the Listed Supremacy S.
Sir Dreamalot, ridden by Bra Parnham, defeated Earthstorm (Calyx {GB}), while Heavy Metal (Blue Point {Ire}) finished third.
A Lot (USA) | Standing at Westbury Park
The 2-year-old gelding was having his fourth start after winning his maiden at Bunbury last start. Sir Dreamalot is the first foal from the unraced Oratorio mare Dreaming A Dream.
Dreaming A Dream is closely related to the multiple stakes winner Waratah’s Secret (Oratorio), whose nine victories include the G3 Prince of Wales S. twice.
Unbeaten runner for Zousain
The Lawrie Mayfield-Smith-trained Zouna (Zousain) was too slick over 1000 metres at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Zouna, ridden by Adin Thompson, kept her unbeaten record intact, beating Mishani Lily (Kobayashi) and the favoured El Morzillo (Star Witness).
The filly is the second foal from the unraced Camelot (GB) mare Campagna. Her first foal, Gold Vancouver (Vancouver) won, and she foaled a colt by Zousain last August.
Zousain has sired five individual winners of seven races, headed by the G3 Magic Night S. victress Drifting.
