Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have already combined to win one Golden Slipper and they have their sights on another with improving two-year-old Rise Of The Masses.
The pair won the 2020 renewal with Farnan to give Waterhouse a record seventh victory in the juvenile showpiece but her first since joining forces with her training partner.
Rise Of The Masses cemented his spot in the Slipper field with a fighting victory in Saturday’s Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill after placing at his two previous runs in the Pierro Plate and Skyline Stakes.
Bott is warming to his Slipper chances and says the Russian Revolution youngster still has more to offer.
“He has just been putting it together,” Bott said.
“Even (in the Pago Pago), he was wandering around a little bit and wasn’t able to quite put the race away but when he got into a fight, he really knuckled down to win and was very strong late.”
Bott is confident the two-year-old is tough enough to cope with a seven-day back-up when he will be striving to become just the fourth horse to claim the Pago Pago Stakes-Golden Slipper double after Inspired (1984), Rory’s Jester (1985) and Stratum (2005).
“We haven’t necessarily been in this position recently, but I think he will handle it well,” Bott said.
“He’s had a different lead-up but we were mindful this was the path we had to look at taking.
“There is improvement to come and if he does everything right in the next few days, it will be great to see him take his place.”
Ciaron Maher is likewise content with the lot of 2022 Golden Slipper favourite Coolangatta, who is at the opposite end of the spectrum in that she hasn’t raced since capturing the Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast in January.
With Sydney dishing up several weeks of heavy tracks, Maher has opted to keep her at home, instead ticking her over with a jump out at Newcastle last week.
It is an unconventional build up but one Maher is content with.
“I’m very comfortable. She’s super,” Maher said.
Coolangatta was a $4.50 favourite on Sunday, with Rise Of The Masses a $26 chance.