The first of Sydney’s two-year-old crop will be looking to make early season statements at Randwick, and a familiar stable is set to be most heavily represented.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will have five youngsters across the two juvenile openers, with colts Flying Houdini and Stasis in the Breeders’ Plate (1000m), and fillies Bourbon Beat, Outback Affair and Runaway Diva in the Gimcrack Stakes (1000m).
Tulloch Lodge has captured the colts and geldings division twice in the past three years, and six times in the past 20, while they have also produced two of the past four Gimcrack Stakes winners.
Bott says all five bring different qualities to the table, and while he nominates Flying Houdini as the most precocious, when it comes to two-year-olds, he’s learned to expect the unexpected
“Going off their trials, Flying Houdini looks the most ready-made two-year-old type,” Bott said.
“But it’s a big day for them and there’s still a lot to happen. We’ve had multiple runners in them before and maybe the favoured runners haven’t necessarily (done best).
“They’re getting to the races very early in their careers, and it’s a strong 1000 metres.
“It can change the dynamics off the back of what we’ve seen in their trials and at home.”
By Trapeze Artist, Flying Houdini won his 850m heat at the official two-year-old trials, clocking the quickest final 600m sectional of the nine heats, while Stasis was third in the fastest of the colts and geldings hit-outs won by Out Of Bounds, who isn’t competing on Saturday.
“(Flying Houdini) was good in his trial. It was jump and run, and he showed good natural speed,” Bott said.
“Stasis was a different style of trial, but he was really strong late. He’s really come on nicely from his trial and he’s one we’ll continue to see more of as we go forward.”
In the fillies’ division, Runaway Diva won her 850m heat, while both Bourbon Beach and Outback Diva finished second in their respective assignments.
Bott described Bourbon Beach as “professional”, Runaway Diva as “a tough Anamoe filly”, and felt Outback Affair was open to the most improvement.
“Outback Affair has gone ahead really well off the trial. It’s switched her on,” he said.
“I couldn’t fault her work (Tuesday) morning. She’s still got a lot of improvement to come, but there was a fair bit to like about her trial too.”
