Normally, a trainer predicting a trifecta in a Stakes race would be seen as bold, but when it’s Gai Waterhouse speaking about the Breeders’ Plate, it carries plenty of weight.
The Hall of Famer, who trains in partnership with Adrian Bott, has pulled off the feat the past two years. In 2023, Tulloch Lodge produced King Kirk to defeat Tempestuous and North England, while in 2022, Espionage led home Straight Charge and Prost.
This Saturday at Randwick, Waterhouse and Bott will unleash another strong trio in the $250,000 Group 3, represented by Eviction Notice, I’m Ya Huckleberry and Revengeance.
“I think we’ll trifecta the Breeders’ Plate,” Waterhouse said.
“I think we’ve got a horse that could easily be a Golden Slipper horse and I said that before Pierro won the Golden Slipper.”
Waterhouse famously declared “you just saw the Golden Slipper winner” after Pierro claimed the 2011 Breeders’ Plate, before he went on to take out the world’s richest two-year-old race.
Eviction Notice is the colt she believes can follow Pierro’s path and deliver her a ninth Golden Slipper success. By 2021 Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside, out of Street Boss mare Euroboss, Eviction Notice announced himself with a dominant trial win at Randwick last week, scoring by 7-3/4 lengths in 49.53 seconds.
“He’s a very, very sharp horse,” Waterhouse said.
“He does everything right. He won his trial by seven lengths (and) ran super time.”
I’m Ya Huckleberry was also impressive, winning his trial by nearly three lengths in 49.54 seconds, while Revengeance clocked 50.38 seconds to win his heat.
“I’m Ya Huckleberry, he’s a beautiful colt; big and strong, knock you in the nose and go ‘boom’,” Waterhouse said.
“The other horse, Revengeance, has just jumped out of the ground since his trial.
“He had to get at him a little bit to win his trial, but he ran it in very fast time.”
Bred to shine, I’m Ya Huckleberry was a $400,000 yearling purchase by Home Affairs, while Revengeance, by Hellbent, was secured for $100,000 at the Inglis Classic Sale.
Pierro is one of three Waterhouse Golden Slipper winners to feature on the Breeders’ Plate honour roll, alongside Sebring and Vancouver, with other victories coming from High Rolling (1998), Sparks (1999), Whittington (2012) and Law (2013).
Waterhouse and Bott also have a strong hand in Saturday’s Gimcrack Stakes, won last year by Platinum Jubilee for the stable. This year they saddle up Shiki, Home Invasion and The Wildling. Shiki, a $420,000 Magic Millions buy, impressed in a trial last week running the fastest time of the morning in 49.46 seconds. Home Invasion won her heat in 50.63 seconds, while The Wildling was placed behind Shiki.
Another colt from the yard, Knightsbridge, heads to Flemington for the $175,000 Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m). A $750,000 Magic Millions purchase by Farnan, he is considered a natural juvenile talent.
“Knightsbridge is a natural two-year-old, an absolute natural,” Waterhouse said. “Very good-looking horse, very light on his feet.”
Tulloch Lodge is chasing back-to-back wins in the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes after Tremonti’s success last year, adding to their win with Unite And Conquer in 2018.
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