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Will we see the 2022 Golden Slipper Winner on Saturday in the BREEDERS PLATE? The first black type race of the new season for the colts in New South Wales, the Gr3 Arrowfield Breeders' Plate has assembled a field of 14, with many coming through the 2YO trials held on the Kensington track on September 20.

Black Type racing for two-year-old’s gets going this Saturday with the Group 3 ATC Breeders Plate and Gimcrack Stakes at Randwick and the Listed VRC Maribyrnong Trial at Flemington with the QTIS 2YO Plate at Doomben also adding plenty of interest. ​

The first 2yo races of the season in Sydney is the Gr3 BREEDERS PLATE 1000m for the males and Gr3 GIMCRACK 1000m for the girls. Hopes, Dreams and Expectations of Owners have nerves jingling that their “babies” can stand up to the pressure and be countered on the big stage. Dynamic Syndications will present a genuine competitor on Saturday in the Breeders Plate. HARD TO SAY is our colt by EXCEED AND EXCEL ex MALASUN, a $160,000 Magic Millions yearling, he was the first yearling we have given to our wonderful horseman and Team Member JASON DEAMER at Newcastle.

What were you doing at 2.30am this morning? Gai’s alarm went off Monday morning at 2.30am, as usual, after going to bed before 9pm last night, despite a fabulous weekend of stable results, a Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 in Sydney, a Listed race in Melbourne and a maiden at Goulburn. Making an early breakfast for husband Rob and then a round of phone calls, Facetimes or Zoom’s from 3am to either Bott, or respective stable foremen and the Melbourne team. That’s today, tomorrow and every day.

Even by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott's own lofty standards, Saturday proved a marquee day for the training partnership, with four (4) stakes winners across two states, including In The Congo's (by Snitzel) success in the Gr1 Golden Rose. In The Congo represented Gai Waterhouse's 146th Group 1 success - 134 in her own name and now 12 Gr1 victories in partnership with Bott. In The Congo's Golden Rose win was the highlight, there was also a Gr2 Golden Pendant success for the consistent 4-year-old mare Vangelic (Vancouver), a Gr3 Colin Stephen Quality victory for Entente (Dundeel {NZ}) and a Listed Jim Moloney S. triumph for Queen Of Dubai (Pride Of Dubai).

HEAD OF STATE is American Pharoah's most expensive Australian-bred yearling, he became his first Australian-bred winner in February and now is his first Australian stakes winner. Also it vindicated breeder Brad Crismale's belief in the USA Triple Crown-winning stallion. Having sent Derelique to American Pharoah in three of the past four years, the stakes breakthrough from Head Of State had a major impact for Crismale of boosting the residual value of his retained 2-year-old sister and recently foaled brother.

Very few horses can win a Group 1 race at their second start, but miraculous filly Tenebrism did just that. Brilliant grey dual Group 1 winning sprinter Caravaggio (USA) shuttled for just one season to Coolmore Australia, and that crop of foals are two-year-olds this season, their sire making news when posting his first Group 1 winner. Talented filly Tenebrism was the sire’s first winner when she scored on debut at Naas back in March and she is now his first Group 1 winner after taking out the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes (1200m) at Newmarket.

The first Queensland two-year-old race of the season was run on Saturday at Toowoomba and first season sires were always predicted to play a big role in the $75,000 Pat O'Shea Plate (1000m) and so it played out, with Newgate Farm’s MENARI siring highly promising filly Menari Magic to beat Mishani Warfare, a gelding by Aquis Farm’s The Mission.

Two headline American Pharoah three-year-old colts made bold statements for their champion young sire over the past couple of days. On Saturday at Rosehill, HEAD OF STATE became the fourth stakes winner this calendar month, and the 23rd stakes-winner worldwide among 155 winners including another 14 stakes placegetters for champion racehorse and now champion young sire AMERICAN PHAROAH. Most importantly, HEAD OF STATE is the sire’s first Southern Hemisphere Stakes Winner from just a small number of runners to date from his first crop in Australia.