Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Golden Slipper winner Farnan has a major spring goal in place but co-trainer Adrian Bott says the TAB Everest is not the preferred option at this stage of his campaign.

Hugh Bowman with Adrian bott celebrating Farnan's Golden Slipper win (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The star colt has been back in work at Tulloch Lodge for a couple of weeks and a program is yet to be set in stone aside from the desire of managing owners Aquis to win the Coolmore Stud Stakes.

That doesn’t rule out the TAB Everest, where Farnan is an $11 chance with TAB, and Bott said the stable's job is to focus on having Farnan ready to fire in every race he’s set for.

“The ultimate target he is going to have for the campaign will be the Coolmore,’’ Bott said.

“Speaking with (Aquis managing director) Shane McGrath that’s the direction and the target they’d like to achieve.

“Obviously they have an Everest slot and have that option but we feel following a traditional path with the colt is the preferred option at this point of time.’’

As Bott said, Aquis is a TAB Everest slot holder so always have the ability to focus the colt in that direction depending on how the race is shaping up as October 17 nears and what alternative runners they may have.

Of course a three-year-old won last year’s TAB Everest, Yes Yes Yes followed placings in the Run To The Rose and Golden Rose with his track record breaking win.

Farnan is the current Golden Rose favourite at $6 ahead of boom Queenslander Rothfire, who is seeking an Everest slot, at $7 and Bott said he’s come up well but the kick off point has not been locked in.

“We have him on a timeline that has him trialling in August and ready to resume in September,’’ he said.

“I don’t think he is ever going to be a big, gross sort of horse. He’s a very athletic sort of type and comes to hand quite quickly.

“We gave him a long preparation last time, he had a brief time out after the Magic Millions, from August right through to the Slipper.

“So we wanted to see the horse come back and spell well, and take the full effect of a spell, and not showing any signs of an arduous preparation.’’

Farnan became Gai Waterhouse’s seventh Golden Slipper winner, and first in partnership with Bott, when he made a one act affair of the world’s richest two-year-old race back in March.

That followed similarly dominant wins in the Silver Slipper and Todman Stakes in a brilliant two-year-old campaign, that only had the one blemish with his unplaced effort in the Magic Millions, which will likely earn him Champion two-year-old honours.

Farnan wins the Golden Slipper at Rosehill

Bott said Farnan has always struck him and Waterhouse as a horse that would excel at three and didn’t want to overtax him by pressing on to the Sires’ and Champagne Stakes and he feels that was the right move.

“He always gave us the indication he had plenty more to offer,’’ he said.

“That was the main reason he didn’t go through and contest the two-year-old triple crown.

“We had no issue with stepping up in distance or pushing on further in that campaign, we felt he is a colt who has a lot more still to offer as an older horse.

“We wanted to give him every opportunity to fulfil that.’’

Racing NSW - your home of live racing, form, tips and the latest news.