First Lady Of The Turf Gai Waterhouse will contemplate a Melbourne Cup campaign for the front running Transact after the three year old led all of the way to win the Listed $200,000 VRC St Leger (2800m) at Flemington on Anzac Day.
Transact, above, was an all the way winner in the 2019 VRC St Leger at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The winner of the Listed $400,000 The Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington on May 25 will be exempt from the ballot for the 2019 Group 1 $7.3m Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 5 and Waterhouse has pencilled that into Transact’s program.
“We certainly would want to win the Andrew Ramsden, and I said that to Adrian,” Waterhouse said.
“We’re thinking about it.
Waterhouse, who trains in partnership with Adrian Bott, will first head to Adelaide with Transact to try to beat the three year olds again in the Group 1 $500,000 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville on May 11.
“We’re going to South Australia and win the Derby,” Waterhouse said.
“We’re down to go on Wednesday off to Adelaide.”
Melbourne based jockey Luke Currie had no hesitation in taking Transact straight to the front and the Dundeel gelding was never headed after leading the large field of three year olds out of the straight the first time.
Transact struggled to show any potential early on in his career but gave the owners a glimpse of his staying ability once Waterhouse and Bott stepped him up distance.
Transact scored his maiden win in a 2125m Class 1 and Maiden Plate at Cessnock in September last year and then made it two wins in a row with a victory in a similar class race over 2320m at Newcastle a couple of weeks latest.
“All he could do was stay and he could not win,” Waterhouse said.
“He was running last … (but) the further the distance we gave him, the more he improved.”
“But the more we stepped him up in distance, the more he improved and then everybody believed in him.”
The Phillip Stokes trained Mr Quickie is the early favourite for the South Australian Derby at $4.20 ahead of Grinzinger Star at $5.50 and Declarationofheart at $7 while Transact is marked at $9.
Early betting for the 2019 South Australian Derby at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4.20 Mr Quickie, $5.50 Grinzinger Star, $7 Declrationofheart, $7.50 Chapada, $9 Extra Brut, Savvy Oak, Secret Blaze, Transact, $13 Stars Of Carrum, Tarwin, $15 Classic Wei Wei, Star Missile, $17 Declares War, $26 Alessandro, Approach Discreet, Budd Fox, Dealmaker, Galahad Guru, Kaplumpich, Snipes, Tongsai Boss, $31 or better the rest.
