Gai Waterhouse loves Royal Ascot and says there is nothing like it anywhere in the world.
The Sydney trainer is a regular in England at this time of year but Wandjina will be her first runner at the Royal meeting for eight years.
“Unless you have been, you have no comprehension of the magnitude of the whole five days,” Waterhouse said.
“The pomp and the procession with Her Majesty and the Royal family and the people from all over the world, and let alone all the fabulous horses, it’s in a league of its own.
“We have a fabulous carnival in Victoria in the Melbourne spring but this is the next level up.
“It’s quite special.”
Waterhouse’s last Royal Ascot runner was Bentley Biscuit who finished at the tail of the field in the 2007 King’s Stand Stakes won by fellow Australian Miss Andretti.
The trainer has put what she learned into practice with Wandjina who runs in Saturday’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
“I’ve only ever raced one horse at Royal Ascot, Bentley Biscuit, and he ran at the other end of the field, so I’m hoping this time we can go to the right end of the field,” she said.
“I once asked how can the cab driver (Joe Janiak) win with Takeover Target and I run no good at all.
“I said ‘tell me how you do it’ and he said to make sure you have the horse ready when you leave Australia and you only have to tick him over.
“I thought that’s good enough advice for me.”
Waterhouse took Janiak’s advice on board and Wandjina left Australia in great order.
She says Wanjina reminds her of Starspangledbanner who won the same race, then named the Golden Jubilee, in 2010.
Starspangledbanner was a Caulfield Guineas and Oakleigh Plate winner for Leon Corstens and was trained in Europe by Aidan O’Brien.
