Gai Waterhouse announced on Monday afternoon that she will
immediately spell Golden Slipper winner Vancouver, saying he’s done all that could be asked of him during the autumn.
It’s hard to argue since the wonder colt has started in 4 races all stakes races and won them all commencing with the
ATC BREEDERS PLATE LR, ATC CANONBURY STAKES Gr3, ATC TODMAN SLIPPER TRIAL Gr2, ATC GOLDEN SLIPPER STAKES Gr1.
Tommy Berry, immediately after his Golden Slipper winning ride aboard
Vancouver on Saturday, was bullish regarding the prospects of winning the triple crown – Golden Slipper (1200m), Sires Produce (1400m) and Champagne Stakes (1600m) – but that is now off the table.
Gai said "He is a superior colt."
"I'm very mindful of his three-year-old career,"
Stable foreman Mark Newhnam said "Gai is looking toward the spring and going off her experience with Pierro decided to spell him now”.
"He came through the run fine and could have gone on but Gai wants enough time to get the spring preparation spot on, and that will be made a lot easier by tipping him out now.”
The 3 main races which Gai is eyeing off in the Spring include the
Golden Rose, Caulfield Guineas and of course the Cox Plate.
A dominant winner of Saturday's Slipper, the unbeaten Vancouver will come back in the new season with his main aim being the Cox Plate, the only major race on the Australian calendar Gai is yet to win.
It is the most logical path for Gai to take with her super colt VANCOUVER.
Medaglia D'oro
A son of Medaglia D’oro from a Danehill line mare, his conformation and his pedigree is all about 1600m to 2000m racing. For this colt to have achieved what he has as a 2yo is phenomenal. Vancouver could well become a legend of the Australian Turf and he has the pedigree to become one of the most expensive stallions ever to go to stud.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained Pierro in 2012 is the last horse to claim the
Slipper, Sires' Produce and Champagne Stakes. However Pierro was a tired horse by the time the 2013 Cox Plate arrived and despite a grand effort finished third behind Ocean Park and All Too Hard.
Blue Diamond Stakes winner
Pride Of Dubai (by Street Cry) is now the $4.60 favourite for the Sires' Produce. The Gai Waterhouse-trained
English (by Encosta De Lago) who finished second to Vancouver in the Slipper is now second favourite at $7.50.
Dynamic Syndications with Gai at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale purchased a spectacular filly by MEDAGLIA D'ORO from the DANEHILL Line Gr2 Winning mare TRICK OF LIGHT - A filly bred on the same cross and built very much in the frame of VANCOUVER, she is with Master Trainer Gai and we're bullish lightning can strike twice.
