Scarlet Rain is set to contest the 2016 Sweet Embrace Stakes at Royal Randwick tomorrow and trainer Gai Waterhouse is typically confident about the chances of her talented filly in the Group 2 event.
Scarlet Rain will defend her unbeaten record in the 2016 Sweet Embrace Stakes at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
Scarlet Rain made her racing debut with a tough win in the Hyland Race Colours Plate (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on January 2 and she led all the way to beat the talented Twist Tops and Prized Icon in the More Than Winning Plate (1000m) at Royal Randwick on January 23.
Waterhouse was set to run Scarlet Rain in the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) last weekend, but she elected to save the Manhattan Rain filly for the Sweet Embrace Stakes and she told Racing Ahead that she believes the two-year-old will defend her unbeaten record.
“I was going to run her in the Silver Slipper, but I just thought there were few little things and I would sooner wait, so I did,” Waterhouse said.
“The owners were very understanding and we set her for tomorrow’s race and I couldn’t be happier with her.
“She has terrific gate speed, she has wonderful cruising speed and just when you think they are going to overtake her she has a burst.
“She is very much like Karuta Queen.”
Scarlet Rain is set to be Waterhouse’s major chance heading into the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 19 and she is confident that the filly will stack up in the feature event.
Waterhouse admits that Capitalist has been the standout two-year-old in Australia this season to date, but she still believes that there are a number of winning chances heading towards the Golden Slipper.
“She is my main chance,” Waterhouse said.
“If you take away the Snowden horse it is open and there are still quite a few chances.
“It is not a closed book, but in my opinion you have seen the Slipper winner.
“Anything that hasn’t raced in the spring and is trying to get there now is at a huge disadvantage.
“It is a very special time of year.”
Scarlet Rain is currently available at 2016 Sweet Embrace Stakes odds of $3.80 with Ladbrokes and is on the second line of betting behind In The Vanguard ($3.80).
Waterhouse is chasing her fourth win in the Sweet Embrace Stakes after previously winning the race with Shadowy Outline (1994), Ha Ha (2001) and Shared Reflections (2011).
