The Tramway Handicap distance is expected to be short of Tullamore’s best on Saturday but trainer Gai Waterhouse is looking to the spring full of optimism with the Brisbane Cup winner.
The talented stayer resumes in the Group Three 1400m contest at Warwick Farm with Tommy Berry back on board after winning on the gelding at Hawkesbury in April.
“I’m over the moon with Tullamore, he’ll run a super race on Saturday,” Waterhouse said.
“He’s really an exciting stayer in the making.”
Tullamore arrived at Waterhouse’s stables from New Zealand last year and the gelding made giant strides in an arduous autumn and winter preparation earlier this year.
He claimed his first Australian victory over 2400m on the Kensington track in March before adding victories at feature race days at Hawkesbury and Scone.
Tullamore rounded out his campaign with victory in the Group Two Brisbane Cup (2400m) at his 11th start of the preparation.
The five-year-old son of Savabeel had an exhibition gallop at Rosehill last Saturday ahead of his spring return, working side by side with stablemate Teardrop Rock over 1200m.
“The 1400 metres (of the Tramway) is short of his best but it’s a nice race for him to start off in,” Waterhouse said.
Berry partnered Tullamore in his exhibition gallop and believes the gelding is in for a good preparation.
“He has come back better than last preparation,” Berry said.
“He’s a lot more switched on. When I clicked him up in the last 100 metres (of the exhibition gallop) he really let down which was nice.”
Group One winners Secret Admirer and Sincero head betting for the Tramway, with Secret Admirer favourite at $4.20 ahead of the resuming Stradbroke Handicap winner who is at $4.50.
Tullamore, $26 in Tramway betting, carries the same colours as last year’s Caulfield Cup winner Descarado who Waterhouse said had overcome a setback.
Descarado is expected to resume in the Group One George Main Stakes (1600m) on September 17.
“He had a little setback but he’s right back on track and hopefully he’ll resume on the 17th,” Waterhouse said.
Another of the Waterhouse-trained spring hopefuls who also races in the brown colours with white epaulettes will have an exhibition gallop at Warwick Farm on Saturday.
Tulloch Stakes winner Fast Clip will be one of four Waterhouse-trained horses to gallop between races, with the others being Older Than Time, More Strawberries and Flying Success.
AAP TURF