Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Gai Waterhouse expects lightly raced filly Pandemonium to develop into a Group 1 performer this spring and thus won’t hear of her being beaten at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

The champion trainer knows a thing or two about preparing a filly for the Flight Stakes – a race she has won nine times including the last two with Global Glamour and Speak Fondly – and that’s the race Pandemonium is being set for.

After her impressive 3-1/4 length maiden win at Kembla Grange earlier this month, Pandemonium takes the next step towards that target in the TAB Handicap (1600m) at Warwick Farm.

‘’She’ll bolt in,’’ Waterhouse said.

‘’I think she’s a real Flight Stakes horse, I’ve thought that all along.

‘’From the moment I saw her at Magic millions I’ve been in love with her. She is so honest, very talented and really exiting.’’

The market seems to agree with Waterhouse’s assessment as Pandemonium, to be ridden by apprentice Rachel King, opened the clear favourite for the three-year-old Benchmark 70 event.

Waterhouse and co-trainer Adrian Bott had a strong hand as usual at Monday’s Randwick trials where a lot of interest centred on TAB’s The Everest runner English.

The five-year-old, who has contested 11 Group 1 races in her 17 starts to date, finished fourth behind Redzel and Russian Revolution, both also mentioned in Everest calculations, in her 1045m heat.

Waterhouse said jockey Blake Shinn was instructed not to knock her about as she cruised to the line, just cut out of third by Happy Clapper.

‘’It’s a bit unusual starting over the 1045m, her first trial is usually around the 740m, but Adrian and I wanted her to get into a nice rhythm,’’ she said.

‘’She’s much more mature, she has a lovely can-do attitude which is what you want to see and she pulled up beautifully.’’

English, who ran second in the TJ Smith Stakes earlier this year, will trial again prior to resuming in the Group 3 The Shorts at Randwick on September 16.

Meanwhile, Waterhouse and Bott are yet to lock in a debut for the blueblood filly Woman following her dominant trial win in the final heat of the morning on Monday.

The Frankel-More Joyous filly travelled strongly in second place in the 740m trial before sweeping past the leader for an effortless win.

‘’She was most impressive,’’ Waterhouse said.

‘’We’ve been very patient with her, we’ll see how she goes in the next week and decide where we go.’’

View the fields for Warwick Farm on Wednesday here