Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will add a dose of international flavour to the Silver Eagle with two overseas acquisitions set to make their Australian debuts in the $1 million race.
Former Singapore galloper Coin Toss and English import New Endeavour will join local stablemate Kibou in the 1300m race, the trio bidding to underline their respective claims for a start in the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) three weeks from Saturday.
Coin Toss has won four of his nine starts, farewelling Singapore with a brace of Group 2 wins over 1400 metres and 1600 metres.
The gelding has only been in the country for a few weeks and horse and trainers are still getting acquainted, but Bott wants to see Coin Toss stand up and be counted at Randwick if he is to press on to the Golden Eagle.
“He’s a very interesting horse who is obviously bringing different formlines here,” Bott said.
“It’s a pretty crucial race for him.
“There is the potential for him to go to the Golden Eagle, but he will need to qualify himself through a good performance on Saturday.
“We haven’t had a great deal to do with the horse’s preparation outside the last month so no doubt we’re going to learn a lot more about him Saturday.”
New Endeavour has been showing promise as a sprinter-miler in the UK, finishing runner-up in Group 2 company at his final start before heading to Australia.
He has a tough draw in barrier 16 on Saturday and Bott feels he will improve once he extends to the slightly longer Golden Eagle journey.
“He’s a really classy horse coming through some nice races in Europe,” Bott said.
“He should be qualified for the Golden Eagle already on his ratings, but he will be better suited by that trip. This is a shorter trip for him and a tricky draw but he’s very nice horse.”
Kibou heads to the Silver Eagle third-up after resuming with a solid win at Randwick in September before blotting his copybook when down the track behind Airman.
He did have to work early to find the front last start and from barrier one, Bott expects him to rebound.
“His first-up win was very good and I’d be forgiving of his second-up performance,” he said.
“He is better than that. The 1300 should suit him better and he’s done well, so I’d just have to put a line through his last run.”
Kibou is highest of the Waterhouse-Bott runners in the market as a $10 chance, with New Endeavour at $17 and Coin Toss $26 with online Australian bookies.
