The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable will chase their third win in four years in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes.
Imported galloper Sir Delius lines up for the stable in the 1800m weight-for-age contest at Caulfield on Saturday as they look to repeat the efforts of Alligator Blood in 2022 and 2023.
The first of Alligator Blood’s victories came when the race was run at Sandown on the day following the AFL Grand Final while it moved back to Caulfield the following year.
Waterhouse and Bott did not have a runner in last year’s race when the Chris Waller-trained Buckaroo took out the race.
Buckaroo is back again this year and is the $5 second elect behind Sir Delius who is currently the $2 market leader.
Sir Delius came to Australia having won his first three starts in France with his only unplaced performance coming in last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe when finishing eighth.
Purchased by Sir Owen Glenn and clients of Waterhouse and Bott, Sir Delius made an imposing start to his Australian career taking out the Group 3 Chairman’s Handicap at Doomben before a break to prepare for the spring.
Sir Delius resumed with a narrow second to Lindermann in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on September 6 and with Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup aspirations, the entire has been based at Flemington since that first-up run.
Bott said Sir Delius had settled in well to his new surrounds and while gate 11 is not ideal in the 12-horse field, it was not beyond the entire.
“He went down to Melbourne not long after his run up here and he seems in good shape,” Bott said.
“He worked on the course proper there, got a good feel for the tracks down there and he has worked up nicely.
“He should appreciate getting out that little bit further in distance again. I’d like to think he will show some nice improvement off that first-up run.
“It was a lovely first-up run. He lost no admirers, and he looks set for a nice campaign.”
Waterhouse and Bott are planning to send Sir Delius to the Group 1 Might And Power (2000m) at Caulfield on October 11 on his way to the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley two weeks later.
The Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4 is also on the agenda.
