Tulloch rolls out young guns
Trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott could be represented by half the field for the $5m TAB Golden Slipper, including hot favourite Storm Boy.
Waterhouse and Bott seem certain to have at least six starters in the world’s richest twoyear-old race at Rosehill Gardens later this month.
Juvenile sensation Storm Boy is the stable’s No.1 seed and confirmed his place in the field for the rich Rosehill race with his easy win over stablemate Prost in last Saturday’s Skyline Stakes.
Crack colts Straight Charge, Espionage and Shangri La Express will clash in the Group 2 $300,000 Todman Stakes (1200) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Lady Of Camelot, winner of the Widden Stakes and runner-up in the Blue Diamond, will go straight to the Golden Slipper on March 23.
But Tulloch Lodge also has unbeaten filly Too Darn Lizzie (Group 2 $300,000 Reisling Stakes, 1200m, Randwick, Saturday) and Inglis Millennium winner Fully Lit (Group 3 $250,000 Black Opal Stakes, 1200m, Canberra, Sunday) poised to race their way into Slipper contention over the weekend.
If Waterhouse and Bott do saddle up eight of the 16 Golden Slipper starters, it would be a record representation from one stable.
Hall of Fame trainer John Hawkes holds the record after qualifying seven two-year-olds for the 2003 Golden Slipper won by the Graeme Rogersontrained Polar Success.
“We have mainly the colts, Storm Boy, Prost, Straight Charge, Espionage and Shangri La Express, plus the filly Lady Of Camelot heading to the Golden Slipper,’’ Bott said.
“But let’s see how Too Darn Lizzie and Fully Lit go this weekend. It’s a good position to be in but the Golden Slipper is still about three weeks away.’’
Storm Boy firmed into $2.30 favouritism for the Slipper after scoring his fourth win from as many starts in the Skyline with Waterhouse and Bott having seven of the top nine in betting.
Bott said the $60m wonder colt had pulled up in great order after his Randwick win and doubts the colt will need another race or a barrier trial before the Golden Slipper.
“I would say Storm Boy will go straight into the Slipper without a trial,’’ Bott said.
Unbeaten filly Too Darn Lizzie, owned by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, the composer of some of the world’s most famous musicals including Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Joseph and the Technicolour
Dreamcoat and Evita, will contest the Reisling Stakes where a win could be enough to secure a Golden Slipper start.
Fully Lit, impressive winner of his two starts, is also racing for a Slipper start in the Black Opal Stakes.
“Tim Clark will ride Too Darn Lizzie on Saturday and Regan Bayliss will go to Canberra for Fully Lit,’’ Bott said.
Waterhouse and Bott also celebrated a Group 1 win last Saturday with Tropical Squall in the Surround Stakes and the stable is chasing more big race success with Les Vampires and Ganbare in the $1m Randwick Guineas (1600m) on Saturday.