Australia’s best known trainer Gai Waterhouse will have runners on opposite sides of world in the next twenty-four hours with two of the top fancies in the Group 1 $500,000 Sky Racing Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday and a starter at Royal Ascot in England tonight.
Gai Waterhouse will have runners at Eagle Farm and Royal Ascot in the next twenty-four hours. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Cosmic Endeavour and Driefontein will be representing the Waterhouse stable at Eagle Farm while her latest European acquisition Cafe Society will be lining up in the Listed £70,000 Wolferton Handicap (1 mile, 2 furlongs) at Royal Ascot.
Waterhouse is currently in England with her husband Rob and only purchased Cafe Society, a potential Melbourne Cup horse, earlier in the week for $600,000 and is keen to see the promising four year old stayer perform tonight in front of Her Majesty The Queen.
“Rob liked him last year, but he wasn’t for sale,’’ Waterhouse told The Daily Telegraph from Ascot.
“We thought he was the horse of the sale, and since we’ve bought him, we’ve had about 20 people come up and tell us just that.
“You’ll see him in the spring. He’ll race here and then go straight into quarantine.
“That’s what you buy them for (the Melbourne Cup). There is a long way to go between now and the Cup, and as long as you get one horse there, that’s the most important thing.’’
Cafe Society is a winner of three races from nine starts and is a last start winner over one mile, three and a half furlongs at Windsor on May 19 and is currently a $6 chance with Ladbrokes.com.au with The Queen’s horse Bold Sniper the $3.20 favourite .
Waterhouse has also scheduled a meeting with The Queen to discuss the Spring Carnival program of her horse Carlton House and will meet Her Majesty on Saturday.
“I’ll meet with Her Majesty on Saturday and talk about her horse. I don’t get (nervous), she’s a racing lady, she loves her racing and loves being informed,” Waterhouse said.
“I’d like to think the Cox Plate and Mackinnon Stakes would be perfect goals for Carlton House.’’
As usual Waterhouse is giving both her Tattersall’s Tiara runners a great chance but she wouldn’t be surprised if Driefontein can turn the tables on Cosmic Endeavour after the three year old beat the older mare when they ran the quinella in the Group 2 $200,000 VIRBAC Animal Health Dane Ripper Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm a fortnight ago.
“I could even see Driefontein turning the tables on Cosmic Endeavour because she’s going so well and is such an honest mare,’’ Waterhouse said.
Cosmic Endeavour and the Chris Waller trained Red Tracer are sharing favouritism at $4.80 for the Tattersall’s Tiara with Ladbrokes.com.au just ahead of Catkins at $5.50 and Coolmore Classic winner Steps In Time at $6 while Driefontein is an $11 chance.
