The resurgence of Gai Waterhouse has been highlighted by a week at Flemington where she and training partner Adrian Bott have come out on top with five winners over the Melbourne Cup carnival.
Their results were capped by Pinot in the VRC Oaks, a first win in the Classic for Waterhouse who joined forces with Bott at the beginning of the 2016/17 season.
Waterhouse admitted she was enjoying training again having questioned herself after Fiorente won the 2014 Melbourne Cup.
“Adrian has been like a transfusion,” Waterhouse told Sky Sports Radio.
“I was sick of it. Not training the horses but sick of the business side of it.
“The day after we won the Melbourne Cup I wanted to walk away.”
She said once she sold the business side of Tulloch Lodge to a Hong Kong investor, she regained her love of training and being with the horses.
The Cup was won for the sixth time by leviathan owner Lloyd Williams who admits it is the race closest to his heart.
Although Williams has multiple trophies, Rekindlng’s Cup win was a first for 24-year-old Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien who beat his famous father Aidan, trainer of the runner-up Johannes Vermeer.
While the Cup is a test of endurance, the Darley Classic over the 1200m-straight course is a showpiece of Australia’s, and perhaps the world’s, best sprinters.
Redzel showed his win in the non-graded $10 million Everest in October was no fluke with a devastating display of sustained speed.
GROUP ONE WINNERS:
Coolmore Classic: Winner: Merchant Navy. Trainer: Aaron Purcell. Jockey: Mark Zahra
Myer Classic: Shoals. Anthony Freedman. Dean Yendall
Victoria Derby: Ace High. David Payne. Tye Angland
Kennedy Mile: Shillelagh. Chris Waller. Michael Dee
Melbourne Cup: Rekindling. Joseph O’Brien. Corey Brown
VRC Oaks: Pinot. Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. Stephen Baster
Darley Classic: Redzel. Peter and Paul Snowden. Kerrin McEvoy
Emirates Stakes: Tosen Stardom. Darren Weir. Damian Lane
Leading trainers over the week: Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott (5), Darren Weir (4), Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra (3), Tony McEvoy, Mike Moroney, James Cummings (3)
Leading Jockeys: Damian Lane, Stephen Baster (4), Patrick Moloney, Kerrin McEvoy (3), Michael Dee, Michael Walker, Chris Symons, Corey Brown, Brenton Avdulla (2)
