Gai Waterhouse is looking to continue her dominance of the major Autumn Carnival features when she sends a strong team to Hawkesbury on Saturday.
Waterhouse and Nash Rawiller took all before them over the last couple of months, combining to win seven Group 1s _ the two year old Triple Crown with Pierro, The Queen Of The Turf, The Doncaster Mile and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes with More Joyous and the Rosehill Guineas with Laser Hawk.
“It’s more fun winning, we know what it’s like when you’re not winning so it’s nice when you’re winning,” Waterhouse said.
“It was only 12 months ago I had a shocking carnival so you certainly appreciate it.”
The ever confident Waterhouse will saddle up the favourites in both feature races, the Listed $150,000 XXXX Gold Hawkesbury Rowley Mile (1600m) and the Listed $150,000 Blacktown Workers Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m).
Fast Clip ($3 fav) and Western Symbol ($4.80) head the betting for the Rowley Mile with some strong form coming out of the Sydney Carnival and a Brisbane Winter Carnival trip is on the agenda if their good form continues.
Nash Rawiller is back on Fast Clip after Jim Cassidy was aboard when the four year old ran the race of his life to finish fifth to stablemate More Joyous in the Group 1 $2m BMW Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 21.
The Snippetson gelding has earned the top weight of 59kg after carrying 52kg in the Doncaster Mile following his win the Group 3 $125,000 BMW Doncaster Mile Prelude (1600m) at Randwick on April 14.
Western Symbol has been freshened up after putting three wins together, including two over 2000m during the Carnival.
The vastly improved High Chaparral gelding will be ridden by Blake Shinn, taking over from Tommy Berry who is riding Waterhouse’s South Australian Derby hope Tohunga at Morphettville.
“I thought Fast Clip will be extremely hard to beat,” Waterhouse said.
“You say why’s Western Symbol in the race?
“He’s in the race because I feel he needs to do something. He’s just so above himself and jumping all over the spot. He’ll be competitive.”
Waterhouse is likely to send out the shortest priced favourite of the day with the unbeaten Landing in the Guineas who will start in the red.
The More Than Ready gelding looks very promising and quickly worked through the classes to make it four from four winning the Listed $100,000 McGrath South Pacific Classic (1400m) for three year olds at Randwick on April 21.
Rawiller will again be on Landing in a bid to take the three year old’s winning run to five from five.
