Brilliant three year old filly English is set to spearhead trainer Gai Waterhouse’s Brisbane Winter Carnival assault after winning the Group 1 $600,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick last Saturday.
All Aged Stakes winner English will spearhead Gai Waterhouse’s Brisbane Winter Carnival assault. Photo by Steve Hart.
Waterhouse has already pencilled in three Group 1 assignments for English, the first of which is the Group 1 $500,000 BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben on May 14.
The Group 1 $750,000 James Boag’s Premium Doomben 10000 (1350m) at Doomben a fortnight later will follow then onto the Group 1 $2m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 11.
“I will be there with bells on and I’m bringing a really nice team up there of about six to eight horses,” Waterhouse told The Courier-Mail.
“I’m really looking forward to it. English will run in the three big sprints, starting off with the BTC Cup on May 14. She’s going great guns and those three sprints look lovely races for her.”
English is racing in outstanding form with two wins from her four Sydney Autumn Carnival starts.
The Encosta De Lago filly was able to score first up in the Group 2 $500,000 Hyland Race Colours Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on March 5 before running sixth to Griante in the Group 1 $700,000 Banjo Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill on March 19.
English then ran a mighty race when she came from near last to run third behind Chautauqua and Fell Swoop in the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on the first day of ‘The Championships’ on April 2 before winning the All Aged Stakes.
Also heading to Brisbane will be English’s stablemates Excess Knowledge, stayer Cafe Society and two year olds Prompt Response and Evacuation.
Excess Knowledge resumed from a spell for a first up second to It’ Somewhat in the Group 2 $175,000 Ajax Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on March 12 and will be heading to the Group 1 $650,000 Hardy Brothers Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben on May 21.
Cafe Society is coming off a five run Sydney Autumn Carnival campaign and will get a slight freshen up after finishing eighth Gallante in the Group 1 $2m Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick on April 9 before being prepared for the Group 2 $300,000 Evergreen Turf Brisbane Cup (2200m) at Eagle Farm on June 11.
Waterhouse will target the major two year old races with Beneteau filly Prompt Response and the well-bred More Than Ready cot Evacuation.
The lightly raced Prompt Response has been placed twice at Group 3 level from only three starts when second in the $150,000 Emirates Airline Plate (1000m) at Flemington during the 2015 Melbourne Spring Carnival and a first up second the $500,000 IG Markets Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on the second day of ‘The Championships’ on April 9.
While Evacuation is coming off a debut three and three quarter lengths win in a 1000m Kembla Grange two year old Handicap last Saturday.
English has catapulted up the market order for the Stradbroke Handicap following her All Aged Stakes win and shares the third line of betting at $7 with Black Heart Bart at Ladbrokes.com.au.
Early Stradbroke Handicap market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4.60 Malaguerra, $4.80 Azkadellia, $7 Black Heart Bart, English, $11 Counterattack, Fell Swoop, Music Magnate, Xtravagant, $13 Bow Creek, Delectation, $15 Ghisoni, Japonisme, $17 Artlee, Charlie Boy, First Seal, Good Project, Lumosty.
