Vinicunca won the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate to give Waterhouse and Bott their third two-year-old winner in Melbourne this season.
Vinicunca joins Unite And Conquer (Maribyrnong Trial) and Espaaniyal (Inglis Banner).
Thursday’s Group 3 VRC Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) at Flemington on Oaks Day is for two year-old boys and girls and this year's edition belonged to the fillies who showed their superiority after the blue-blooded female duo of Vinicunca and Art Collection forged clear of their peers to fight out the finish.
Vinicunca is an I Am Invincible filly. She had not trialled officially but handled the straight like a professional, to race on the pace and maintain a nose margin over Art Collection who is the Fastnet Rock half-sister to Australian Horse of the Year Lankan Rupee.
Vinicunca was partnered by international jockey Wayne Lordan who rode Rostropovich into fifth place in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday for Coolmore.
Wayne Lordan said "Tom Magnier asked me to ride her and Mrs Waterhouse said whatever she did today she would improve on, so she's a nice filly going forward."
A $600,000 Inglis Easter purchase for BBA Ireland / T Magnier / Flaxland Ireland from the Attunga Stud draft, Vinicunca runs for Coolmore, the Niarchos family's Flaxman Stables and Lindsay Maxted.
"She's beautifully bred and very talented, an exciting filly. When she was challenged she dug deep." said co-trainer Adrian Bott.
Adrian then confirmed the filly would now be put aside to concentrate on the big two-year-old races in the autumn.
“She’s a very talented filly going forward and one of our best two-year-olds we’ve got in training.
“She’s been able to strike early and get some black type but I think there’s better things to come.
“We’ll look at possibly bringing her back for a Blue Diamond campaign and then on to the Golden Slipper for a filly bred as well as she is.”
Adrian also thanked regular stable jockey Stephen Baster who did the majority of the work on the filly after she made her way down from Sydney.
“Steve was keen to partner her today but with the connections (Coolmore) having their jockeys here for the carnival they had to take preference,” Bott said.
Vinicunca became the 38th Stakes Winner for Yarrama Park's superstar sire I Am Invincible who stands at a Service Fee of $192,500. He has sired three 2yo stakes winners this season with Vinicunca joining Espaaniyah and Catch Me.
The win of continues the terrific run by the Waterhouse / Bott combo in Melbourne this Spring.
They have now won 6 Stakes Races with:
Vinicunca ~ Espaaniyah ~ Unite And Conquer ~ Thinkin’ Big ~ Shumook ~ they had the quinella in the Geelong Cup with Runaway and Northwest Passage.
Apart from winning now six Stakes Races, other Gai and Adrian runners have also been competitive in Melbourne with: