While most European imports often require a preparation or two to settle in, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott appear to have a particular skill for getting them to perform from their first start.
The Tulloch Lodge trainers have already enjoyed early successes with horses such as the multiple Group 1 winner Sir Delius, who was victorious on his local debut in 2025; Eliyass, who also claimed a stakes race at his initial Australian outing; and Just Fine, who achieved the 2023 Kingston Town Stakes-Metropolitan double in his second and third runs in Australia.
It is Just Fine’s impressive feat that their latest recruit, The Euphrates, will be aiming to replicate in Saturday’s Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick, having captured the first leg with a dominant display in the Kingston Town Stakes (2000m).
Bott indicated that The Euphrates’ two-year period of recuperation after arriving in Australia meant his acclimatisation was a smooth process. He also expressed confidence in the Tulloch Lodge system’s approach to selecting overseas talent, believing it is a significant factor in identifying horses capable of immediate impact.
“We are selective in what we try to target to bring out,” Bott said. “That helps, the selection process and targeting the right horses to the style that will suit the training and racing. That’s a big benefit.”
A Listed winner and a dual Group placegetter in Ireland, The Euphrates faced a series of minor issues upon his arrival, including a brief illness and a subsequent muscle strain, which delayed his Australian debut until this spring.
However, mirroring many previous Tulloch Lodge imports, he has made an immediate splash, winning the Kingston Town Stakes at only his second local start.
That race showcased the horse’s exceptional ability to sustain a high cruising speed, a quality Bott expects will serve The Euphrates very well.
“He’s always been a very talented horse. He had good form coming over here, and he’s just had a bit of bad luck that we didn’t see him at the races for twelve months or so,” Bott remarked. “But he’ll sustain that pace you saw the other day. He ran the same time over a mile, he’ll run it over 2000, he’ll run it over 2400 and hopefully sustain it over two miles as well.”
This year’s Metropolitan (2400m), which has been downgraded from Group 1 to Group 2 status, has attracted a field of 13 runners. The race is currently headed by the exciting young stayer and $2.20 favourite, Aethelwulf, with The Euphrates holding the second-favourite tag at $4.40.
Betting markets for the Metropolitan are now open at leading Australian betting sites.
