Gai Waterhouse has a stranglehold on the G1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes with odds-on favourite Overreach and talented second-stringer Florid Affair.
Overreach (Exceed And Excel) dominated the Golden Slipper and is the $1.55 TAB favourite for the second leg of the Triple Crown at Randwick. Darley filly Guelph, another Exceed And Excel, is next at $10 followed by Florid Affair at $11.
Florid Affair was just out for a training gallop when a decisive four length winner at Warwick Farm on April 3. It was special win for Waterhouse. “My first winner by Sebring who is making every post a winner,” Gai told connections. “She pulled up well and Nash (Rawiller) said she has real potential.”
Florid Affair (2f Sebring – by Show Exhibit by Danehill) was a $200,000 buy at the 2012 Gold Coast Magic Millions and she is owned by Gerry Harvey, Gai’s daughter Kate, daughter-in-law Hoda and a syndicate that includes WA breeders Alan and Sue Olive of Gold Front Thoroughbreds.
Alan and Sue are part of another Waterhouse syndicate that races Divine Calling. He also earned a start at the all-star Black Caviar meeting this Saturday with a last-start victory at Canterbury.
Divine Calling (2g Stratum – Rubicall by Rubiton) is stepping up to the G3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) at Randwick and he’s in the market behind the well-fancied Il Cavallo and Safeguard. He was sourced at the same Magic Millions Sale as Florid Affair for $210,000.
“We would love to be at Randwick this Saturday but there’s a family wedding in Queensland,” Sue Olive said. “It was booked a long time before the two winners came along.”
The Olives have installed Redoute’s Choice stallion Slater as Gold Front’s foundation stallion at Bullsbrook. He was a stunning winner on debut at Canterbury and jockey Jim Cassidy labelled him a Group 1 of the future.
Slater returned for the spring and was a brilliant winner first-up at Rosehill. Trainer Chris Waller stepped him up to Group 2 company in the Roman Consul Stakes at Randwick but he was unplaced with muscle soreness issues and that eventually restricted his career to just 9 starts.
– Karl Patterson