Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have been in fine form, and they are looking to continue their winning momentum.
Promising young stayer Military Mission will get a prime opportunity to showcase his talent when he steps up to stakes company for the first time in the Listed Winter Cup at Rosehill.
The English import has made good progression through the grades since landing in Australia, following back-to-back wins at Canterbury and Hawkesbury with a narrow second at the Gosford stand-alone meeting.
He lumped 61kg last start and drops seven kilos on Saturday and combined with a distance rise to 2400m, co-trainer Adrian Bott views the race as an ideal goal.
“Military Mission is one of our better chances for the weekend,” Bott said on Sky Sports Radio.
“He has been targeted towards this race, he had a nice tick-over trial and he’s right up to the mark.
“He is stretching out to a trip I think he will relish, and we were looking to get him down in the weights a bit.”
Military Mission will be joined in the race by stable warhorse Taikomochi, who will cart topweight of 58kg but will strip fitter for his two runs back from a spell.
Bott is also keen to see how Baroque Road handles the rise to Saturday grade in the Bowerman’s Handicap (1300m) after the two-year-old gave nothing else a chance when he led throughout for an impressive win on debut last month.
“He looks to have a lot of natural talent there and a lot of upside,” Bott said.
“He is stepping up in distance slightly, which I think he will handle well, and there was a lot to like about the way in which he won first time out on the Kensington track.
“If he was able to win and well, there are options for him in Queensland.”
Tulloch Lodge will have a team of eight runners at Rosehill as the stable looks to continue its good recent form.
Heading into Wednesday’s Warwick Farm meeting, Bott and his training partner Gai Waterhouse had produced five winners from their past seven runners, highlighted by Splendiferous in the Group 3 Premier’s Cup at Eagle Farm last weekend.
