Gai Waterhouse is on the brink of repeating her history making effort of training the trifecta in a Golden Slipper when she saddles up five runners in Saturday’s $3.5m 1200m dash for the two year olds.
Waterhouse set the benchmark in the 2001 Golden Slipper when she also had five starters and secured the first three placegetters with Ha Ha, ridden by Jim Cassidy, Excellerator with Chris Munce and Red Hannigan ridden by Danny Beasley.
Waterhouse’s other Slipper winners were Dance Hero for Chris Munce in 2004 and Sebring (Glen Boss) on 2008.
Her five runners in this year’s $3.5m Group 1 AAMI Golden Slipper at Rosehill are the unbeaten colt Pierro, Canonbury Stakes winner Raceway and the fillies, Magic Millions winner and runner up Driefontein and No Looking Back and Later Gator who is the outsider of the Waterhouse team.
The ever confident Waterhouse is giving herself a great chance to secure her fourth Slipper even with the presence of unbeaten Victorian filly Samaready who has been favourite since winning the Group 1 $1m Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 25.
“I think I have top chances of winning this race and even training the quinella or trifecta in the race,” Waterhouse said.
“It’s possible, the form is around my horses.”
Waterhouse though is reluctant to single out the best of her runners, but Pierro is the obvious pick of her bunch remaining unbeaten from three starts and will be given a perfect ride by Nash Rawiller after drawing the inside barrier.
“Pierro goes out unbeaten, you’ve got Raceway who was probably unlucky when he was beaten, the filly Driefontein hasn’t been beaten and No Looking Back has only been beaten by her stablemate and the favourite,” she said.
“And Later Gator is one at long odds, and she’s not hopeless, for people who like to back Singo.”
“It’s an achievement to get five horses here and I am really proud of it.”
Waterhouse believes that Pierro and Raceway fit the mould of a Golden Slipper winner who in her opinion need to be able to run a strong 1400m.
Pierro was able to hit the line hard in a fighting finish at the end of 1200m when too strong for Epaulette in the Group 2 $300,000 Spotless Todman Stakes at Rosehill on March 24 and Raceway made up plenty of ground and also hit the line hard when second to Ashokan in the Group 3 $125,000 Hyland Race Colours Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on March 17.
Waterhouse is also pleased to have Craig Williams riding No Looking Back for her, describing him as the best jockey riding in Australia at the moment.
“No Looking Back has really picked up this week and who have we got to ride, Craig Williams, the greatest jockey in Australia and no one is riding better,” she said.
“But I think I will leave it to the punters, I supplied them with five chances and you can take the one you like.”
Samaready is the reigning favourite at $2.60 and is likely to stay very short with Pierro the second pick at $6 just ahead of Epaulette at $7 and No Looking Back at $9. Raceway and Driefontein are both at $15 while Later Gator is the longest price of the Waterhouse runners at $71.
Waterhouse’s other Slipper winners were Dance Hero for Chris Munce in 2004 and Sebring (Glen Boss) on 2008.
