Flying Houdini showcased an outstanding display of sustained speed to capture the first juvenile race of the new season, the Group 3 $250,000 Breeders Plate (1000m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Flying Houdini, a $60,000 yearling purchase, performed strongly in line with his barrier trial form, easily defeating several colts with impressive pedigrees and substantial price tags.
“Of all our two-year-olds coming here today, he has been the most natural all the way through,” Bott shared. “He has been thriving every single day of his preparation and we didn’t have an excuse not to bring him here today. You saw his attitude, he’s very determined, his ears went back and he was in for the fight. He has done it all very easily through the campaign and you saw today when he was challenged he found another length.”
Ridden by Regan Bayliss, Flying Houdini ($7) took the lead early and maintained it to defeat Capitano ($3.80) by a clear margin of one-and-a-quarter lengths. Nonu ($2.45 favourite) finished an additional length and a half back in third position.
Bayliss commented that Flying Houdini exemplifies the well-regarded ‘bone and muscle’ type from Tulloch Lodge. “He’s a streetfighter and I knew if I could find the front today, nothing would get past him,” Bayliss said. “They’d come to him, but he just pins his ears back and goes right through the line. I came off the fence which is not ideal on a two-year-old because you lose your advantage coming off and being out there. But to his credit, once he straightened up and I switched the stick over, he really quickened well and his last hundred was the best part of his race.”
This win marked a record ninth Breeders Plate for Waterhouse. Bott indicated the colt is being prepared for major two-year-old races later in the season. “He is a nice value purchase by RedFox and full credit to them, they continue to buy these nice horses that perform on the big stage,” Bott remarked. “The path has always been for our two-year-olds to get here today, that is a big job in itself, and he will go for a spell now. He’s a horse we can bring back early in the New Year, resume here in Sydney, then we can go to the Blue Diamond and then target the Golden Slipper.”
It is noteworthy that eight previous Breeders Plate winners have gone on to win the Golden Slipper, including Waterhouse’s colts Vancouver (2015), Pierro (2012), and Sebring (2008). Capitalist (2016), Luskin Star (1977), Baguette (1970), Eskimo Prince (1964), and Sky High (1960) also achieved this double. In contrast, no filly has won the Gimcrack Stakes-Golden Slipper double since the latter was introduced in 1957.
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