Latest news with #Churchill'sChoice
News.com.au
02-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Adrian Bott doubts whether Gai Waterhouse will be up in the early hours of the morning in the US to watch Shangri La Spring in the Queensland Guineas
Adrian Bott doubts whether his high-profile training partner Gai Waterhouse will be up in the early hours of the morning in the United States to watch classy colt Shangri La Spring run around in the Group 2 Queensland Guineas at Eagle Farm on Saturday. But Waterhouse, who is in the US to attend the famous Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville on Sunday morning (AEST), will be there in spirit at least as favourite Shangri La Spring looks to strike an early blow for the powerful stable in the $350,000 race over 1600m. Bookmakers have listed the last-start Frank Packer Plate winner as the $4.80 favourite ahead of the Nathan Doyle-trained filly Churchill's Choice ($5), Victorian gelding Wonder Boy ($5) and Depth Of Character ($5.50) from the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald stable. Judging by her social media posts, Australian racing's queen of the turf Waterhouse looks to be having a ball in Kentucky. But whether she will still be awake at around 1.40am on Saturday (Kentucky time) to watch the winning horse cross the post in the Queensland Guineas remains to be seen. 'If it's that time of morning, I doubt it,' Bott said. 'She is awake at odd hours so never say never but it does make it difficult. 'The coverage of Australian racing over there is pretty good so there's plenty of exposure. 'I think she's really enjoying her time there so far. We don't have any horses over there but there are plenty of clients who race in Australia that we train for and I think it's important to spend some time over there and appreciate the industry.' Tim Clark will again ride Shangri La Spring on Saturday after he led all the way for a convincing victory as a $16 chance in the Group 3 Frank Packer Plate (2000m) at Randwick on April 19. 'It opened up a few more options for him, going out to the 2000m,' Bott said. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'He's the type of horse who seems to have plenty of tactical and natural speed. 'I'm hoping that can offset him dropping back to the mile off that run. 'I think he can be effective in doing that but we'll plan on stretching him out again after the run on Saturday.' Bott said the plan after Saturday was to run Shangri La Spring in the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben in two weeks' time before his winter grand final, the $1m Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on May 31. Meanwhile, Wonder Boy's trainer Jerome Hunter said his gelding looked 'great' after also winning his last start, the $200,000 Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m) on April 12 in an aggressive ride from Jamie Mott, who will stay on for Saturday's Queensland Guineas. Wonder Boy spent a week in Sydney with stablemate Magarten before travelling to Brisbane. 'He just takes a bit to wind up so he's certainly crying out for 1600m,' Hunter said. 'I'm actually glad Shangri La Spring is there because he'll add some speed which will help us.' Hunter said he loved coming to Brisbane where he had enjoyed success with mare Barb Raider, who won the Group 2 The Roses (2100m) at Eagle Farm in 2022 before backing up to finish second in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) behind Gypsy Goddess. 'It's been a long preparation,' he said about Wonder Boy's campaign. 'I've had a lot of success at Eagle Farm so I can't wait to get back there. 'Barb Raider won The Roses last time I came up here, and then was second in the Oaks so it's a good hunting ground, Eagle Farm.'
News.com.au
01-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Aim up against the boys': Queensland Oaks-bound filly Churchill's Choice to excite in Queensland Guineas
Young Group 1 winning trainer Nathan Doyle has no qualms about taking on the boys with his exciting young filly Churchill's Choice in Saturday's Queensland Guineas. Newcastle trainer Doyle, who soared into the Group 1 club when sprint weapon Private Harry won The Galaxy, feels Churchill's Choice could arguably be coming to the Sunshine State unbeaten. The filly has won three from four with her only defeat when she resumed over 1400m in a Group 3 race at Randwick last start, finishing fourth and beaten a length after seeing little clear air. Churchill's Choice, which gets a two-kilo advantage on her male rivals, is a $5 chance in the Group 2 Guineas and Doyle points out she would have been shorter in Guineas betting had she arrived in Queensland with a picket fence of wins next to her name. She is already highly rated as a Group 1 Queensland Oaks chance – at $6 in betting – and can zoom into Oaks favouritism with an impressive display over 1600m at Eagle Farm on Saturday. 'I know she is in the Guineas against the boys, but I think she can aim up,' Doyle said. 'She was in restricted room the whole straight last start, she should have been in the finish and Kerrin McEvoy thought the same as me. 'The last few strides she really just dashed at them, she was just winding up. 'If she got a bit of room last start she could be going up to Queensland unbeaten and she would be a lot shorter in the (betting) market than she is. 'I really like the horse, she wants to be a racehorse and she attacks the line. 'She has got a bright future.' Doyle rates Churchill's Choice every bit as good as stablemate Harlem Queen, the filly which was Group 1 placed last spring and also ran fourth in the VRC Oaks behind rising superstar Treasurethe Moment. Harlem Queen didn't fire at Eagle Farm last Saturday, failing to flatter when finishing 11th in the Princess Stakes after starting the $2.90 favourite. But there was an excuse for the flop when it was discovered the filly had sustained a wound on her leg in the race. Harlem Queen will most likely press on in an Oaks campaign with her next start likely to be in The Roses later this month where she could tangle with Churchill's Choice. As for Churchill's Choice, Doyle says the filly is giving him every indication the 2200m of next month's Oaks won't pose a problem. 'She shows me she just wants to relax and doesn't over do it in her races and she gets into a nice rhythm,' Doyle said. 'I feel 2200(m) shouldn't be an issue. She is just so unassuming, when you take her to race day she just produces. 'In the Guineas on Saturday, she has a perfect gate (9) to give her a bit of room and let her balance up, I think she will be very competitive.'
