Trainer Gai Waterhouse is very confident that imported stayer Excess Knowledge can record his maiden race win in Australia when he contests the Freshmark Handicap (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Excess Knowledge finished second behind Eigelstein in his Australian racing debut in the Hyland Race Colours Handicap at Royal Randwick last month. Photo by: Steve Hart
Excess Knowledge opened as a clear favourite in Freshmark Handicap betting markets and he has been one of the best backed runners right around the country for this Saturday; with punters still happy to take the $2.60 quote on offer for the son of Monsun.
The four-year-old made his Australian racing debut with a narrow second place finish behind Eigelstein in the Hyland Race Colours Handicap (1400m) at Royal Randwick on May 24 and arguably would have won the race if he did not lay out under pressure in the straight.
Waterhouse has a very high opinion of Excess Knowledge and she is sure that the imported galloper can justify the betting support of punters and score his second career win when he steps up to 2000 metres in the Freshmark Handicap this weekend.
“On Saturday I have a lovely English horse by the same stallion as Fiorente, Monsun,” Waterhouse said.
“Excess Knowledge is a gorgeous creature and he was very impressive when he ran second here at Randwick.
“He will take a stack of beating when he is ridden by Nash Rawiller on Saturday.
“He worked Tuesday morning and glided over 1000 metres and it was really lovely work.”
Excess Knowledge was prepared by leading English trainer John Gosden and he made his racing debut with a maiden win at Sandown in August of 2012.
He was immediately stepped up to Listed level for the Washington Singer Stakes (1408m) at Newbury and finished a tight second behind Just The Judge before tiring in the final stages of the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes (1609m) at Newmarket.
Excess Knowledge, after a lengthy stint away from racing, finished third in the 2013 Listed Ambant Gala Stakes (2018m) at Sandown Park and he finished second behind Cap O’Rushes in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes (2414m) at Goodwood on July 31 before making his Group 1 debut with a tenth place finish behind Aidan O’Brien-trained Leading Light in the Ladbrokes St Leger Stakes (2937m) at Doncaster on September 14.
Waterhouse purchased Excess Knowledge at the end of last year and has the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) in mind for the Monsun entire, but may wait until next year before giving the rising stayer an opportunity in ‘the race that stops a nation’.
