Top Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse will get a clearer view of her Golden Slipper hopes after the running of the two juvenile races at Randwick tomorrow.
Waterhouse rates the fillies so far this year as superior to the colts and geldings and has both gender racing at Randwick.
Waterhouse will saddle up the undefeated Raceway in the colts and geldings Group 3 $125,000 Hyland Race Colours Skyline Stakes (1200m) and fillies Kuchinskaya and Valerio in the Group 3 $125,000 Les Johnson Memorial Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m).
“We have a very superior group of two year olds,” Waterhouse said.
“I think the fillies are marginally better than the colts at this point in time and I couldn’t be happier with the group I’ve got both male and female.”
So far this season Waterhouse has trained a host of two year old winners including the quinella in the $2m BMW Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast in January.
She also produced Pierro to win the Listed $100,000 Thoroughbred Breeders NSW Breeders Plate (1000m) at Randwick in October last year as well as the Group 2 $200,000 Patinack Farm Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill two weeks ago.
Her other top colt Raceway is going for three wins from as many starts tomorrow and if he could win might rise in the top trainer’s rating amongst her two year olds.
The More Than Ready two year old scored easily first up in January in the Warwick Farm 100 Club Plate (1000m) then responded to hard riding from Hugh Bowman to score narrowly from Shelford in the Listed $100,000 Sharp Cannonbury Stakes at Warwick Farm on February 18.
“He has done everything right and I’m really happy with him,” Waterhouse said.
“He’s a very exciting horse and should win that race.”
“I’ve also got two lovely fillies who could easily run the quinella in the fillies race.
Raceway is a short priced favourite at $1.85 in the Skyline while Kuchinskaya is heading the Sweet Embrace betting at $3.60 just ahead of the Chris Waller trained Jade Marauder ($3.85).
Valerio will find this harder than her first up win in the Vinery Stud 2yo Maiden Handicap at Canterbury on Feb 22 and is way down in the market at $17.
Waterhouse also has two runners in the Group 1 $500,000 Turnpoint Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) in Hobartville winner Wild And Proud and the promising Laser Hawk.
“Wild And Proud is the most improved horse in the stable, he is a sprinter-miler so he will be very well suited but Laser Hawk is one of those horses you never know,” Waterhouse said.
“It’s a big jump up for him. He could run sixth or seventh, he’s a bit unfurnished at this point in time and can only improve as the distances get longer.”
