Four runners in the top five spots in the betting for the stable

The Waterhouse/Bott two-year-olds have got off to a flying start this season, with the Golden Slipper being their ultimate aim.

Four of the top five in the betting with the horse racing bookmakers for the Golden Slipper represent the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott combination. The wealthiest two-year-old race in the world will be run on March 23 at Rosehill.

Waterhouse already has seven wins in the Golden Slipper to her credit, the most in history, taking over from her Dad, T.J. Smith, who had six. That family knack for getting the best out of a two-year-old is impressive. With four of the top five in the betting for the 2024 renewal, there is a strong chance that Waterhouse can add further to that record. 

Storm Boy

A perfect 3/3 so far, with all of his wins coming by more than two lengths, he has looked like the top two-year-old in the country, so it is no surprise that he is the early favourite. He landed the Magic Millions at Gold Coast when he last raced, responding well when he was asked to quicken by Adam Hyeronimus.

A perfect 3/3 so far, with all of his wins coming by more than two lengths, he has looked like the top two-year-old in the country, so it is no surprise that he is the early favourite. He landed the Magic Millions at Gold Coast when he last raced, responding well when he was asked to quicken by Adam Hyeronimus.

Shangri La Express

Had two quick runs in the spring, winning at Randwick in October and Rosehill in November. The second was in the Golden Gift, where he overcame a wide barrier in 12 over 1100m.

He had to use up plenty early to get himself on the speed that day in a race where the second and third both came from much further back. That suggests that his win can be marked up as he had to overcome the wide barrier and raced against the pace bias. It will be interesting to see where he is sent for his next race. 

Lady Of Camelot

The sole filly in the four, she saluted in the Group 3 Widden Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday afternoon. She didn’t run poorly in the Group 3 Gimcrack in September on her racecourse debut when 4th, but she looked like she would benefit from a bit of time.

That proved the case as she smashed the Widden field to pieces by almost three lengths. Her half-sister, Queen Of The Ball, also saluted in the Widden before conditions went against her in the Golden Slipper when the track came up as a Heavy 9 in 2022. Her half-brother, Platinum Jubilee, also ran in the Golden Slipper last year, so they are a precocious family. 

Prost

Another Rosehill winner on Saturday, Prost got the job done in the Group 3 Canonbury. He debuted on the same September card at Randwick that Lady Of Camelot did when he came third in the Breeders Plate. That racecourse experience was not lost on him, and although he was not as visually impressive as his stablemate, he got the job done.

The runner-up had been behind him at Randwick, so it was good to see the form confirmed. It is worth noting that the two that beat Prost on his debut, Espionage and Straight Charge, are also trained by Waterhouse and Bott, so they could have another couple to add to the Golden Slipper mix.

Only Chris Waller’s Switzerland is challenging the might of Waterhouse and Bott in the Golden Slipper market on the betting sites. We have to wait another seven weeks until the Rosehill race, which gives time for things to change, but it looks like being a classic renewal this year.