It’s usual lofty standards, Tulloch Lodge has had a light two-year-old season, but their main stable rider, Tim Clark, predicts the current crop will make up for lost time at three.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have produced 14 juvenile winners from 92 starters during the 2025-26 racing term compared to 20 from 119 runners in 2024-25.
It follows back-to-back peak seasons in which they trained 35 (2023-24) and 37 (2022-23) two-year-old victors respectively.
With the first three-year-old stakes race of the new term, The Rosebud (1100m), just six weeks away, many of this season’s youngsters are already preparing for their seasonal returns, and Clark says the future of Tulloch Lodge looks bright.
“The Rosebud and San Domenico Stakes, they come up pretty quickly, so those two-year-olds rising three are starting to roll back in,” Clark said.
“There are some nice horses among them.”
When asked to nominate one who had caught his attention since returning, Clark landed on filly By Choice.
A winner on debut at Randwick in December, the daughter of Written Tycoon placed in the Magic Millions Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast, along with a brace of Golden Slipper lead-ups.
Clark says she has furnished nicely, and he expects her to make her presence felt in the early-season three-year-old races.
“I haven’t been on too many of them yet, but By Choice raced through a Magic Millions and lined up in the Slipper lead-ups. Physically, she looks to have really strengthened and come back in good order,” Clark said.
“The Princess Series races might suit her.
“She gives the impression she will run a strong mile, so she is definitely one that physically looks like she has made good improvement.”
The four-race Princess Series kicks off with the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) on August 22 and culminates with the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 3.
