Gai Waterhouse has turned her attention to winning a record-equalling seventh Doncaster Mile at Randwick on Saturday after dominating the opening four weeks of the Sydney Carnival.
A victory to four-year-old Fast Clip in Saturday’s Listed Doncaster Prelude strengthened the Waterhouse assault on this year’s $2 million Doncaster (1600m) where she will have three runners.
Fast Clip joins star stablemate More Joyous and exciting three-year-old Niagara as Tulloch Lodge’s Doncaster hopefuls.
More Joyous and Niagara remained at home on Saturday and turned in pleasing gallops earlier that morning.
“I couldn’t be happier with them,” Waterhouse said.
“Both worked on Saturday morning and I’m delighted with them heading into the race.”
Waterhouse’s late father TJ Smith, officially recognised as a legend last week by the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, holds the record for a trainer in the Doncaster with seven wins.
His daughter believes she is in a great position to join him.
“It would be nice if I could do it,” Waterhouse said.
“At least having three good horses in it you’ve got three good chances, don’t you? They are three completely different horses but they are all in good form.”
More Joyous and Fast Clip head into the race as last start winners while Niagara disappointed in the George Ryder Stakes at weight-for-age but was brilliant winning the Ajax Stakes a week earlier.
Grand Armee, Waterhouse’s most recent Doncaster winner in 2003, won the Ajax before the Doncaster.
“If you go back to Niagara’s win two starts ago it was really good,” Waterhouse said.
More Joyous is the leading chance from the Waterhouse stable on the back of her sixth Group One success in the Queen Of The Turf Stakes last start.
The glamour mare started favourite in last year’s Doncaster but her chances were dashed by rain and she finished well out of a place on a heavy track.
Waterhouse has been a major force so far this autumn with 11 feature race wins during the opening four meetings of the carnival.
The highlights have been Group One victories to Pierro (Golden Slipper and Sires’ Produce Stakes), More Joyous (Queen Of The Turf), and Laser Hawk (Rosehill Guineas).
Waterhouse’s number one stable rider Nash Rawiller has also been in stellar form and would love for More Joyous to add a Doncaster to her impressive race record.
“As much as she’s been such a prolific winner during her career, she hasn’t really won a big one yet. She deserves to win a race like the Doncaster,” Rawiller said.
