It might sound ambitious for a trainer to predict the trifecta in a Stakes race, but when Gai Waterhouse is talking about the Breeders’ Plate, few would doubt her confidence.
The Hall of Famer, alongside co-trainer Adrian Bott, has managed to train the trifecta in the juvenile feature for the past two years. Last year, King Kirk defeated Tempestuous and North England, while in 2022 Espionage beat home Straight Charge and Prost.
This weekend at Randwick, Waterhouse and Bott will saddle Eviction Notice, I’m Ya Huckleberry and Revengeance in the $250,000 Group 3, and Waterhouse is optimistic history can repeat itself.
“I think we’ll trifecta the Breeders’ Plate,” Waterhouse said.
“I think we’ve got a horse that could easily be a Golden Slipper horse and I said that before Pierro won the Golden Slipper.”
Waterhouse famously declared “you just saw the Golden Slipper winner” after Pierro won the 2011 Breeders’ Plate, and the colt went on to claim the world’s richest two-year-old race.
Her highest praise is reserved for Eviction Notice, a $375,000 Magic Millions yearling by Stay Inside, who blitzed his Randwick trial by nearly eight lengths in 49.53 seconds.
“He’s a very, very sharp horse,” Waterhouse said. “He does everything right. He won his trial by seven lengths and ran super time.”
I’m Ya Huckleberry, a $400,000 Home Affairs colt, won his trial by almost three lengths in 49.54 seconds, while Hellbent youngster Revengeance took his heat in 50.38 seconds.
“I’m Ya Huckleberry, he’s a beautiful colt; big and strong, knock you in the nose and go ‘boom’,” Waterhouse said. “The other horse, Revengeance, has just jumped out of the ground since his trial.”
Waterhouse and Bott also boast a powerful team for the Gimcrack Stakes with Shiki, Home Invasion and The Wildling. Shiki, a $420,000 filly by Too Darn Hot, ran the fastest trial of the morning in 49.46 seconds. Home Invasion won her trial in 50.63 seconds, while The Wildling finished behind Shiki in the same heat.
Meanwhile, Knightsbridge — a $750,000 Farnan colt — will travel to Flemington for the $175,000 Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes.
“Knightsbridge is a natural two-year-old, an absolute natural,” Waterhouse said. “Very good-looking horse, very light on his feet.”
Tulloch Lodge will be chasing back-to-back wins in the race after Tremonti’s success last year.
If you’re keen to have a flutter on the Breeders’ Plate, be sure to compare Australia’s leading betting sites and most trusted online bookmakers for the best odds.
