Bypassing the staying race for three-year-olds in preference for one against older horses has paid a dividend for the connections of Teewaters at Caulfield.
Trainer Archie Alexander elected to tackle the VOBIS Gold Stayers (2400m) on Saturday rather than the MRC Chairman’s Club Handicap over the same distance for three-year-olds.
And Alexander was extremely confident after watching the first 400 metres of the race unfold when jockey Craig Williams was able to track the leaders Rolls and No Effort.
“After three or four hundred metres, it was everything we had hoped,” Alexander said.
“It looked we had paid the pair that were in front to go off at a good gallop. This horse needs to relax, and Craig gave him a great ride.
“We had a good chat this morning and everything he said happened. Everything just worked out well.”
Sent out the $3.60 second favourite, Teewaters strolled home by 3-¼ lengths from Royal Crown ($16) with Ferago ($10) a short-head away third.
Teewaters finished third in the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington last spring and Alexander hopes to make a spring contender of the rising four-year-old this year.
Alexander said he would take advantage of the excellent prize money on offer during the winter and try and bank some money while boosting the stayer’s profile.
“In the winter there is a lot of good options to get prize money, maybe not the prestigious races, but good prize money,” Alexander said.
“So, we’ll chip away and have him ready for the spring, maybe give him a let up of a couple of weeks.
“I can’t see any reason why a Bendigo Cup, a Geelong Cup, a race like that, would not be suitable and then see what he’s got from there.
“The thing with him is at a mile-and-a-half, he’s not stopping.”
