First Lady Of The Australian Turf Gai Waterhouse is getting excited as she prepares her star three year old Wandjina for Group 1 £525,000 The Diamond Jubilee Stakes (6 furlongs) at Royal Ascot on Saturday.
Gai Waterhouse is getting excited as she prepares Wandjina for The Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Waterhouse has been in England at the Newmarket stables since the weekend to put the finishing touches on Wandjina who will be taking on Europe’s best sprinters plus the Chris Waller trained Brazen Beau in the premier sprint of the five day Royal Ascot Carnival.
‘The Lady Trainer’, as Waterhouse describes herself, says that the excitement of Royal Ascot which commences tonight with the running of the Group 1 £375,000 The Queen Anne Stakes (1 mile) rivals that of the lead up to the Melbourne Cup from Derby Day the previous Saturday.
“Oh the excitement is building,” Waterhouse wrote on her blog on her website.
“Newmarket is buzzing and the Lady Trainer is bubbling with excitement. It is Ascot eve, everyone is in grand form.”
“The anticipation is only rivalled by the two days between the Victoria Derby and the Melbourne Cup.”
“However, with a live chance in the Diamond Jubilee on the last day, I can keep up with all things Royal Ascot over the first four days, then really get excited come the last day.”
“Saturday is the day we have all been working towards, it is a day I have been looking forward to for many, many years.”
“To have a live chance in one of the world’s great races is truly exciting.”
“Four days to warm up at the famous meeting, then come day five, with a touch of luck, I will be walking on air.”
Waterhouse has reported that Wandjina is thriving in his new environment at Newmarket and she can’t wait to get to the races on Saturday.
“Wandjina is flying, my main man Wandjina is looking the goods,” Waterhouse wrote.
“Over the weekend the rain came and Steve O’Halloran worked the mighty colt under the roof in one of the great indoor training facilities at Newmarket.”
Even though Wandjina has excelled over 1400m and 1600m at the highest level, Waterhouse said that the Snitzel colt will be well suited over the tough uphill six furlongs (1200m) of The Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
“Wandjina has shown his best in Australia over the 7 furlongs (1400m) and the mile (1600m), but this track is so undulating that I believe a good miler is required,” Waterhouse said.
Wandjina started to show his class during the Melbourne Spring Carnival last year with a third to Shining To Win in the Group 1 $1m BECK Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield before running tenth to Adelaide in the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley.
The three year old then returned in the Autumn in scintillating form against his own age with an all the way win in the Group 3 $150,000 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on February 21 followed by another tough win from the front in the Group 1 $500,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 7.
Waterhouse then stepped Wandjina up to weight for age company and the colt ran multiple Group 1 winner Dissident to a head when second in the Group 1 $400,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 18.
Brazen Beau is currently the $3.60 favourite for The Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of Dermot Weld’s smart sprinter Mustajeeb at $7 and Wandjina at $10.
Aidan O’Brien’s Due Diligence and English sprinter Tropics at $11 and $13 chance G Force from the stables of David O’Meara are also well in the market.
