Horses can be creatures of habit and so to can their trainers.
Adelaide trainer Andrew Gluyas has followed the same program with Watchme Win as 12 months ago in the lead up to the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Watchme Win finished fifth in the Group 3 R N Irwin Stakes at Morphettville last year before going on to win Group 3 John Hawkes Stakes (1100m) at his subsequent start.
Those two outings were on the agenda for Watchme Win again this year with the now five-year-old finishing second on each occasion.
Those races in 2025 and again this year led Watchme Win to Adelaide’s premier sprint, the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) with the gelding finishing seventh and eighth respectively.
Gluyas took Watchme Win to Melbourne last year for the Bel Esprit Stakes and after getting well back, the gelding rattled home to finish fourth.
This time around, Gluyas is looking for a better outcome, although he concedes it will be a tougher task with Watchme Win rising 6kg on last year’s weight.
“He’s a higher rated horse now,” Gluyas said.
“He’s above 100 and last year, we came into the race on the minimum. He ran well but got a little bit too far back on the day and hit the line well.
“We’ve come full circle here this time. He’s coming into this fourth-up, back in distance but carrying topweight.
“It’s going to be tougher for him this year, but he’s snuck up in the ratings and has earned the impost.”
Gluyas concedes Saturday’s trip is possibly Watchme Win’s pet trip.
Importantly, Gluyas said Watchme Win enters Saturday’s race on the fresh side.
“The other day he was a little bit soft late in The Goodwood,” Gluyas said.
“In saying that, he probably didn’t have the cover that he needed in the run.
“The 1100m might be his sweet spot and perhaps fresh and early in the campaign as well.
“His first-up form is excellent, but we’re going into this three weeks between runs but he looks to go well at Caulfield, so we’ll try that again.”
Gluyas said Watchme Win was likely to go for a break after Saturday’s run and be prepared for a first-up tilt at the Listed W H Wylie Handicap (1100m) at Morphettville in September, a race he won last year.
“The sprint races are done here (in Adelaide) and the Melbourne ones become part of the Winter Sprint Series, so he’s more than likely going to stop and then we’ll regroup,” Gluyas said.
