Racing Confidential: Renaming Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes in honour of Gai Waterhouse would be fitting tribute to champion trainer
On the eve of the 20th running of the Listed $200,000 Gai Waterhouse Classic at Ipswich on Saturday, surely the time has come to consider naming a feature Sydney race in honour of the Hall of Fame trainer.
Waterhouse, often referred to as 'Australian Racing Royalty', is hugely popular with the racing public, her fame transcends the sport and her record of racetrack achievement is extraordinary.
So, why not rename the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes at Royal Randwick on Day 2 of The Championships the ' Gai Waterhouse Queen Of The Turf Stakes'?
The race is run on Waterhouse's home track and over the famous 'mile' course where she has trained the winners of seven Doncaster Mile s, seven Epsom Handicap s, 11 Flight Stakes, five Champagne Stakes and four George Main Stakes.
Similarly, all-time greats John Hawkes and the late Bart Cummings have feature races named after them interstate but not in Sydney where both trained for the bulk of their celebrated careers.
Waterhouse, who trains in partnership with Adrian Bott, is after her second win in the Ipswich race named after her on Saturday with the John Singleton-owned Gerringong, the $2.70 favourite.
She won the race previously with Ready To Prophet in 2019.
The Hall of Fame trainer also has Osmose in the Listed $250,000 Ipswich Cup (2150m), a race she won with Bianca in 2008.
At Royal Randwick, the Waterhouse-Bott stable has Bases Loaded among the main chances in the Listed $200,000 Civic Stakes (1400m).
• M aher given keys to Leilani Lodge at Royal Randwick
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Two things missing from Sydney racing
Regally bred Central Coast gets the job done at Canterbury, and that's the First 4 to @cwallerracing after he trained the Quinella in Race 1 at Doomben as well! ðŸ'° @aus_turf_club @coolmorestud pic.twitter.com/vDeK9IKN3a
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 18, 2025
Sydney Saturday meetings will have an unusual feel to them in next two weeks with no two-year-old racing.
Usually, Saturday racedays start with a juvenile opener but none have been programmed for Royal Randwick this weekend or for Rosehill Gardens on June 28.
Instead, there was two races for two-year-olds at Canterbury last Wednesday – one for colts and geldings, the other for fillies – and that is also the case for Kensington on June 25.
At the Canterbury midweeker, Coolmore's crack colt Central Coast, a $1.4m yearling purchase, scored an impressive when he led home a Chris Waller -trained 'first four' before the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Kakadu Sunset ran down Avenue Montaigne and $3 million filly Ernaux to win the fillies division.
It would be preferable to have these high profile two-year-olds racing on a Saturday to generate interest during a low-key period of the season.
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Country flavour for midweek metro meetings?
That's a sign for the boys!
🕰 Boys Night Out cruises to victory in the TAB Highway for @mattydunnracing and @Aaronbullock90! @aus_turf_club | @HsktBloodstock pic.twitter.com/uT4WRpeaA5
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 31, 2025
Should TAB Highways be added to midweek metropolitan meetings?
Even with the two juvenile races at Canterbury on Wednesday, there were only 60 starters across seven races, and only four with enough runners for each way betting.
At Kensington a week earlier, there were only 50 starters on a six-race program.
But TAB Highways invariably attract the biggest fields every Saturday and it could be worth trying them at midweek meetings to ensure there are at least seven races each Wednesday.
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Huge fields at Randwick on Saturday
🚨TAB Track Report 🚨
The latest at Royal Randwick ahead of Racing for Good Charity Raceday. @racing_nsw | @tabcomau | @SkyRacingAU | @7horseracing
🎟�Tickets: https://t.co/Oeib7WWE0U
⛅� Weather Tracker: https://t.co/b7255DaMyI pic.twitter.com/eVRJdDzwMu
— Australian Turf Club (@aus_turf_club) June 19, 2025
There are no issues with numbers for Royal Randwick on Saturday with 165 acceptors on the 10-race program with the smallest field size of 11 for the fourth annual 'Racing For Good' charity raceday.
The Australian Turf Club Foundation joins with long-time charity partner ASX Refinitive Charity Foundation to raise funds and awareness for a range of charities.
In the past three years, the 'Racing For Good' race days have raised more than $350,000 for charities that address specific needs within local communities including equine-assisted therapy, family support and educational services.
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