There is a terrific story by the
Daily Telegraph's Ray Thomas on the eve of the 2015 Golden Slipper which is inspirational and needs re-telling:
The day Tommy Smith gave his daughter a piece of his mind has stayed with Gai Waterhouse ever since.
TJ might have been talking through his pocket — “Dad loved to have a bet”, she admitted — but he was typically forthright when voicing his opinion about the way Waterhouse was training Tulloch Lodge’s two-year-old team.
“I remember it vividly because it was the last words Dad said to me before he died,’’ Waterhouse revealed.
T.J. Smith
“We were at Rosehill and walking out of the mounting enclosure when Dad looked at me with the most fierce expression and said ‘
you make a man sick, you can’t train two-year-olds, I keep doing my money on them.’’
Waterhouse is no shrinking violet and went straight onto the front foot.
“Well, you just break them down,’’ she said.
Smith wasn’t about to take this rebuke from his daughter lying down, either.
“You can say that but I’ve won six Golden Slippers!’’ TJ replied.
Waterhouse flew to Cairns later that day where she had a speaking engagement and while she was interstate, her legendary father suffered a massive stroke.
Smith was rushed to St Vincent’s Hospital while his only child hurriedly returned to Sydney to keep a bedside vigil for the next 48 hours.
Smith never regained consciousness and passed away on September 2, 1998, which, by sad coincidence, was also his daughter’s birthday.
Even though it is nearly two decades since his death, Smith continues to have a profound influence on Waterhouse.
Racing’s first lady is always thinking how her father would handle certain situations with her horses — and she has never forgot that last conversation about two-year-olds.
“After Dad died, (husband) Rob and I went away in December for holidays, as we normally do, and I remember saying to him that I was going to change how I train my two-year-olds,’’ Waterhouse said.
“I had Dad’s words ringing in my head and I thought how stupid am I?
“Here I was trying to reinvent the world when he had done it so well for so many years.
“Dad always said that I had to give my two-year-olds more short, sharp work and they would respond so that is what I started to do.’’
The results changed almost immediately. The very next season, Assertive Lad gave Waterhouse her first Magic Millions and her first Golden Slipper placegetter when third to Belle Du Jour.
Then 12 months later, Waterhouse trained a historic trifecta in the 2001 Golden Slipper with Ha Ha, Excellerator and Red Hannigan.
Fast forward to Rosehill Gardens on Saturday and
Waterhouse is poised to equal her father’s Golden Slipper training record of six wins.
Waterhouse is represented by unbeaten colt and race favourite Vancouver, plus top fillies English and Speak Fondly as she attempts to add her imposing Golden Slipper record that also includes wins with Dance Hero (2004), Sebring (2008), Pierro (2012) and Overreach (2013).
Vancouver winning the Gr2 Todman
Waterhouse has been convinced for months that Vancouver will win the Golden Slipper and even though the colt is drawn to start from barrier 15, she hasn’t changed her mind.
The Hall of Fame trainer even sent out a tweet after Tuesday’s Golden Slipper barrier draw which said: “Three of TJ’s Golden Slipper winners came from wide barriers”. They were John’s Hope (barrier 14, 1972), Toy Show (barrier 14, 1975) and Star Watch (barrier 15, 1988).
Waterhouse says she never worries about barriers because you can’t do anything about them.
Tommy on Vancouver
“I think Vancouver will win because he’s a superior colt,’’ she explained.
“We’ve got the best jockey in Tommy Berry so you shouldn’t have to worry. He can go forward or back.
“As for my other runners, Speak Fondly is peaking at just the right time and what has English done wrong? The two fillies will be in the finish.’’
Waterhouse believes her success with juveniles since 2000 — she has trained 19 Group 1 two-year-old race winners including her five Golden Slippers plus four Magic Millions — is a combination of her fascination with training the youngsters and her father’s words of wisdom.
“I love the two-year-olds, they are unbelievably adorable,’’ Waterhouse said.
“They are just like little children and as a trainer you have to be very observant of them.
“These young horses can change so quickly. They can peak one day but can go off the next.
“I listen to the people I have working with my horses every day, and I watch them very closely. I’m like a mother hen."
“Horses can’t pick up the phone and tell you they have a headache or have had enough. They may look healthy but can race sub-standardly so as a trainer I’m always watching them for the little signs that might suggest they are tired and need a spell.
“You can’t get too many runs out of them so it is a balancing act, a great challenge for a trainer.’’
Waterhouse revealed she can often identify a potential Golden Slipper winner as early as the previous winter.
“I always bring my new season ‘babies’ into work in June and July and you can tell very early if a horse is good enough for the Golden Slipper,’’ she continued.
“Vancouver just oozes class and quality and he stood out in my mind even back then. “The good two-year-olds like Vancouver carry themselves like the top class horses.’’
Medaglia d'Oro and his World Famous Champion Daughter - Rachel Alexandra
Vancouver is by Medaglia D’Oro, a three-time Group 1 winner in America and sire of the freakish filly Rachel Alexandra, out of Skates, herself the daughter of 1993 Doncaster Handicap winner Skating who passed away earlier this week.
The colt went through the Magic Millions Yearling Sale last year and was knocked down for $185,000. Considering he could be worth $20 million with a Golden Slipper triumph on Saturday, this was an extremely astute investment.
Waterhouse also revealed her secret to buying yearlings — it is not all about pedigrees.
“I don’t look at the catalogue when I’m buying a horse, I look at the horse first,’’ she said.
“If I look at the pedigree page it can affect my thinking like it affects everyone’s thinking.
“I feel is important to inspect the horse first and see what I will be training. Vancouver was everything I look for in a yearling, a big, strong colt, beautifully balanced and very light on his feet for a horse of his size.
“I’m not discounting the pedigrees, of course you have to look at that but it is so important to take note of the physical type of yearling you are buying.
“So, I look at the horse first, then the pedigree page and from that I believe there is more chance of making the correct decision.’’
Gai Waterhouse says “Vancouver was everything I look for in a yearling, a big, strong colt, beautifully balanced and very light on his feet for a horse of his size”.
Medaglia D’Oro is now “hot property” as a sire.
12 months ago the jury was out with some of the cynical industry buyers as it was felt his progeny would not be at their best as two-year-olds. Waterhouse wasn’t one of them.
“I was told not to buy (2004 juvenile triple crown winner) Dance Hero because he will be a three-year-old,’’ Waterhouse said.
“But I liked the horse first and that is why we got him. Horses can’t read the pedigree page. Some of my owners still rue the day they did not listen to me about Dance Hero.’’
Waterhouse is glad she listened to her father’s advice all those years ago about how to train two-year-olds.
“Dad was my greatest promoter and my greatest fan,’’ Waterhouse said.
“If I can win the Slipper and equal Dad’s record, it would be a dream come true.
“I don’t go out to break Dad’s records or anything like that, he’s the greatest trainer we have ever seen, but I like to be successful and this is my time of year.’’
Click the Link to watch the awesome "GAI TV" preview of the Golden Slipper
GaiTV - Golden Slipper - YouTube
KEY RUNNERS:
VANCOUVER
It’s his to lose. His key strength is ability to sustain a long run rather than short sprint. Has the class to cover ground and still be too powerful.
EXOSPHERE
Most of the O’Shea swarm seems to have peaked but Exosphere appears ready to peak for the grand final. No fluke about his last win and he will relish the strong tempo. Could get last crack at the favourite.
READY FOR VICTORY
The X factor. They’d been whispering about him for ages at Caulfield before his barnstorming debut win. Might find lack of race smarts/maturity beyond him but he may also represent fresh legs.
LAKE GENEVA
Rated as good as last year’s winner Mossfun by Team Hawkes and was excellent in the Diamond. Is that formline strong enough?
THE SPEED
Stablemates Furnaces and Haptic will shoot through from inside gates, with Haybah, also drawn in, right up there. Headwater and Speak Fondly will be just behind them.
Tempo: Typically solid.
HISTORY SAYS TODMAN STAKES WINNERS (Vancouver in 2015)
40 starters for four winners — Pierro (2012), Tierce (1991), Marauding (1987), Luskin Star (1977)
HOT FAVOURITES ($2.50 and under)
20 starters for six wins. Latest: Bounding Away (5-4 fav, 1986)
RECORD OF BARRIER 15 (Vancouver)
1 winner – is it about to be 2 ???
