Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will be out to secure their third Group 1 Underwood Stakes victory in just four years when they saddle French import Sir Delius at Caulfield this Saturday.
The 1800m feature has been a happy hunting ground for the stable thanks to back-to-back wins with Alligator Blood in 2022 and 2023. The race returned to Caulfield last year when Chris Waller’s Buckaroo came out on top, but Waterhouse and Bott did not have a runner.
This time Buckaroo is back as a $5 second pick, while Sir Delius commands early favouritism at $2. The import arrived in Australia with three wins from as many starts in France, his only defeat being a brave eighth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Purchased by Sir Owen Glenn in partnership with Waterhouse and Bott’s clients, Sir Delius impressed at his Australian debut with victory in the Group 3 Chairman’s Handicap at Doomben. He resumed this spring with a narrow second to Lindermann in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) and has been stabled at Flemington since.
“He went down to Melbourne not long after his run up here and he seems in good shape,” Bott said.
“He worked on the course proper there, got a good feel for the tracks down there and he has worked up nicely. He should appreciate getting out that little bit further in distance again.”
Waterhouse and Bott plan to progress to the Group 1 Might And Power (2000m) and the Cox Plate (2040m) before considering a tilt at the Melbourne Cup (3200m) in November.
Punters eager to support Sir Delius in the Underwood Stakes can access the best odds through leading Australian betting sites.