Brilliant filly English was able to provide trainer Gai Waterhouse with her fifth win the Group 1 $600,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick today.
The Gai Waterhouse trained English wins the All Aged Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Waterhouse had previously saddled up the winner of the All Aged Stakes with All Our Mob (1997), Arlington Road (2003), Shamekha (2005) and Bentley Biscuit (2007).
Winning jockey Sam Clipperton settled English ($6) midfield and followed Press Statement ($3.10 favourite) into the race when Hugh Bowman made his move on the favourite coming to the home turn.
Clipperton was left in front a fair way out but was able to hold off the strong finish of the Darren Weir trained Black Heart Bart ($6) who was doing his best work over the concluding stages.
The Chris Waller trained Kermadec ($5) ran a much improved race to finish third out wide on the track.
Waterhouse had to wait to the last day of the Sydney Autumn Carnival to train a Group 1 winner and will now head to Brisbane with English for the Winter Carnival.
The Group 1 $750,000 James Boag’s Premium Doomben 10000 (1350m) at Doomben and the Group 1 $2m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm will be likely targets for English.
“She has a winter ahead of her. She will be going to Brisbane,” Waterhouse said.
“They will be beautiful races for her. She is racing in form, she is a top filly and showed how she put to bed the older horses today.”
English tends to get stirred up before her races but Waterhouse said that her home track advantage was big help today.
“It is our home track and it couldn’t have been better with English,” Waterhouse said.
“I think she is probably best at Randwick. She knows the track even though she gets a bit agitated before the race.”
“She is a very good filly, a three year old against the older horses over 1400m.”
“I knew she would run 1400m with her eyes shut because her work had changed in the last little bit an become a little bit more sort of seasoned.”
“That explosiveness she had as two year old has been transferred itself into a filly that will run a mile easily.”
Hugh Bowman gave Press Statement every chance but the three year old couldn’t go on with it in the straight before winding up in fifth spot, three and a quarter lengths behind the winner.
