Last year’s Melbourne Cup winning trainer Gai Waterhouse is again excited about her 2014 Spring Carnival prospects as she heads to Melbourne with the Cox Plate and the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup favourites.
The Offer has been listed as the early favourite for both the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup. Photo by Steve Hart.
The much improved Carlton House is listed as the equal favourite with top Kiwi mare Silent Achiever at $13 with Ladbrokes.com.au for the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 25.
While 2014 Sydney Cup winner The Offer shares favouritism with Australian Oaks winner Rising Romance at $15 for the Group 1 $3m Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 18.
And The Offer also heads the market order at $13 by himself for the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4.
“They are remarkably exciting horses and I feel privileged to be training both of them,” told Racing HQ.
The Offer stamped himself as a genuine Spring Cups prospect after completing a hat trick of wins during the Sydney Autumn Carnival and is one of ten horses Waterhouse has nominated for the Caulfield Cup.
With Tommy Berry aboard, The Offer scored the first of his three wins by taking out the Group 3 Ambassador Travel N E Manion Cup (2400m) at Rosehill on March 29 following by a two and a quarter lengths win in the Group 2 $300,000 Schweppes Chairman’s Handicap (2600m) at Randwick on April 12.
And then the following week at Randwick again The Offer dominated the Group 1 $1m Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) with a three and three quarter lengths win as the $3.30 favourite.
Waterhouse immediately set The Offer for the major Cups in the Spring in the hope of winning another Melbourne Cup after winning her first last year with English import Fiorente.
“He’s heading for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups,” Waterhouse said.
“He’s a very exciting stayer. He’s got wonderful speed and he’s got a great burst at the end of his races.”
Carlton House, owned by Her Majesty The Queen, is one of thirteen Waterhouse trained horses nominated for the Cox Plate and will follow a weight for age Spring program after a much improved Sydney Autumn Carnival performance which included two Group 1 placings.
“Carlton House on the other hand is a horse that has sensational cruising speed,” Waterhouse said.
“There wouldn’t be a middle distance staying horse in Australia with a greater cruising speed.”
While Carlton House has yet to win for Tulloch Lodge since arriving from England, the Street Cry stallion put the writing on the wall with a nose second to Silent Achiever in the Group 1 weight for age $500,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on March 22.
And then two runs later ran a gallant race to finish third to It’s A Dundeel in the Group 1 WFA $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on April 19, the second day of ‘The Championships’.
Tommy Berry is set to partner Carlton House and The Offer in their Spring Carnival engagements and will also combine with Waterhouse with last season two year old Group 1 J J Atkins winner Almalad who will be aimed towards the Group 1 $1m BECK Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 11.
