Latest news with #Schweppes2YOHandicap
Courier-Mail
5 days ago
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Tomato Toastie triumphs in thrilling finish at Royal Randwick
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Promising youngster Tomato Toastie ended her successful debut preparation on a high note when the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained filly held off Crossbow at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Tomato Toastie showed tenacity over the concluding stages as Crossbow made a surging run along the fence in a desperately tight finish to the Schweppes 2YO Handicap (1400m). 'It was a really tough win,' 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! 'It was a relatively quick turnaround off a Heavy 10 track (run last start) and coming to a nice testing career here early in her career. 'She was out on her feet late. She is not an overly big filly but there is a stack of improvement to come.' Tomato Toastie got her maiden out of the way at start two 10 days earlier when she relished Heavy 10 conditions at Warwick Farm. It encouraged Waterhouse and Bott to give emerging daughter of star stallion Too Darn Hot her chance in Saturday company and she didn't disappoint. Jockey Regan Bayliss landed in a prominent position with Tomato Toastie ($4.80) only trailing Pillow Fight ($3.60), which races in the same colours of owners Cunningham Thoroughbreds. Pillow Fight didn't have much to offer in the straight and was quick to drop off as Tomato Toastie stayed strong to the line, edging out Chris Waller's Crossbow ($2.70 favourite) by a short half head with Kokatahi ($8.50) a further 1½ lengths way. 'She is tough and tenacious,' Bayliss said. 'Not only did she won on a heavy track over six furlongs the other day, she has backed it up over 1400m in quite a smart field. 'She has done a good job.' Tomato Toastie hails from a family well known to Bott and most assuredly Waterhouse. The filly's dam, Al Naifa, is a half-sister to the English who was crowned Champion Female Sprinter in Australia for the 2016/17 season. Tomato Toastie was from the second crop of Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber's champion racehorse Too Darn Hot whose service fee has risen from $44,000 to $275,000 in quick time owing to his spectacular success in Australia. So much so that the Godolphin resident was recently announced as the stallion of choice this spring for Hall Of fame legend, Winx. Tomato Toastie still has the best of her racing career ahead of her but punters will have to wait a while to see her back at the races. 'She will go for a well-deserved break,' Bott said. 'She has got some maturing to do but she is going out with back-to-back wins and a lot to look forward to. 'We made the call to come here today, thinking we will give her one more run while we can now then we can give her a good break that she deserves. 'Rushing her around for the spring is probably not the right sort of thing to do just yet so that might set us up nicely for a good autumn campaign in time.' Runner-up Crossbow was unlucky in defeat after losing some momentum at the top of the straight when Pillow Fight slowed in front of him. The son of Better Than Ready made a strong charge when jockey Jason Collett got clear air. 'When I went back to the inside, he put his head on the side and just wanted to lay out a bit,' Collett said. 'He's still doing a few things wrong but he's got it there. 'I think me can stretch out to the mile but we'll just let him tell as us he gets further into his career.' Stablemate Kokatahi looked the winner at the 300m but ran out of gas over the concluding stages. Originally published as Promising Tulloch Lodge filly Tomato Toastie closes her debut campaign with tenacious victory at Randwick
Courier-Mail
6 days ago
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Trainer Chris Waller saddles up Changing Colours at Randwick
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Trainer Chris Waller is eager to get a better guide on what the future holds for Crossbow and Kokatahi as the promising duo highlight their stakes potential at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Waller said he had a good opinion of both gallopers and would give them an opportunity to snare a late season juvenile win in the Schweppes 2YO Handicap (1400m). 'It's a great time of year to learn about horses and for them to learn about racing and some surprise you and some disappoint you,' Waller said. 'Until they are under race pressure, you don't learn much especially when you get slowly run races and things like that. 'Horses need to have three or four runs and you get a pretty good gauge where they are going to be for the rest of their career.' • 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! Waller got a decent guide on both horses when the pair clashed first-up against another of his smart young prospects, Central Coast. The trio made up a Waller-trained trifecta at Canterbury Park on June 18 when Central Coast got out in time to score in a 1250m event from Crossbow and Kokatahi. Crossbow ($4.60) is rated the better of Waller's chance to breakthrough on Saturday with Kokatahi at $15. Crossbow, to be ridden by Jason Collett, was an acceptor in an 1100m juvenile event at Rosehill Gardens last weekend but was saved for another week to be stretched over more ground. 'We put him in an 1100m last week because we thought it's going to be a wet track, it's going to be a tough ask but I think 1400m suits him better,' Waller said. 'We think he is good enough to get to a Group 3 kind of horse so you'd expect him to keep improving and getting.' • ATC chairman resigns over Rosehill sale 'lost opportunity' Kokatahi, a son of 2020 Golden Slipper winner Farnan, was only having his first start against his stablemates last month and is expected to relish the added trip of Saturday's assignment. 'He's drawn well (barrier five) and 1400m will suit him a lot better,' Waller said. 'I would like to see horses like him come out and say he's a Gloaming Stakes, Spring Champion Stakes horse or we give him a bit more time and you go down the Carbine Club route. 'That's where I am thinking with horses like him. 'He is a bigger, stronger mile type so we are expecting some good things.' Waller is a strong chance of book ending the Sydney card with last start winner Changing Colours ($4 favourite) to go in search of back-to-back victories in the Precise Air Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m) with Collett aboard. Changing Colours started her preparation with four consecutive city placings in Melbourne before coming back to Waller's home track and excelling with an emphatic win on June 28. Waller tossed up stepping up Changing Colours over more ground but has elected to keep the mare over 1400m. • Schiller awaits all clear to return from injury 'She could have run in the mile race against the boys or an 1800m race and we will try her over those distances, at least 1800m,' he said. 'But I don't want to fall into the trap that she's by The Autumn Sun and will need further because they are actually quite sharp horses. 'It's the same distance and same kind of race she won last start when she won with a bit in hand from a wide draw going back. 'This start she has a bit more weight from a good draw so it's the perfect race for her.' Waller, who has had a record 19 Group 1 winners for the campaign, will have a typically competitive hand across the Randwick card. Canpikapony ($41) will hunt consecutive wins in the Petaluma Benchmark 72 Handicap (1100m) while Misterkipchoge ($6) and Bright Red ($8.50) line up in the Toyota Forklifts Benchmark 78 (1800m). Age Of Kings ($23), Kirkeby ($15), Canberra Legend ($41) and Pippie Beach ($3.20) are all in the Eremein Benchmark 88 Handicap (1800m) while Travolta ($31) contests the Asahi Super Dry Benchmark 78 Handicap (1600m). Originally published as Chris Waller juveniles Crossbow, Kokatahi to join Changing Colours at Royal Randwick on Saturday
