A phenomenal juvenile season is poised to parlay into a successful spring for Tulloch Lodge after they dominated the opening metropolitan races of the new term.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott started a trio of newly minted three-year-olds in the first two events at Wednesday’s Randwick-Kensington meeting, capturing the Furphy Handicap (1550m) with Raf Attack and producing the quinella in the Drinkwise Plate (1100m) courtesy of Coincide and Summer Loving.
It follows an outstanding 2022-23 season for the Waterhouse-Bott two-year-olds, which won 37 races to eclipse Tulloch Lodge’s previous record number of juvenile winners.
That crop has begun the new racing term where it left off the last, and Bott is hoping Wednesday’s three-year-old contingent can continue their climb through the grades.
Coincide ($4.20), a half-brother to stablemate and Group 1 winner Converge, atoned for his first-up defeat with a strong performance, controlling the race and kicking clear for a comfortable two-length win over Summer Loving ($2.70 fav), with Dimitrov ($4.40) another length away third.
Coincide placed behind the likes of Barber and Don Corleone at two and Bott believed he could go on with the job.
“I’m delighted to see that horse win, he deserved that,” Bott said.
“He has shown some good form around some very good horses, he’s just been a little bit inconsistent previously but now as a gelding, and I guess even with a gear change (crossover noseband) today, he was able to put it all together.
“He was a little bit more contained and relaxed and he wasn’t as fresh as he was first-up.”
Magic Millions placegetter Summer Loving took time to wind up but once she did, hit the line resolutely in an effort that confirmed to Bott she was on track for her spring target.
“She is on a Flight Stakes path so off that run today, you’d certainly think she’s going to get a bit further,” he said.
Raf Attack ($5.50) was dominant in his 2-3/4 length triumph over Le Chocolat ($2.60 fav), appreciating a distance rise after a disappointing midfield finish on debut over 1300m at Newcastle last month.
“He has shown good improvement off the back of that, he was able to be a little bit sharper today and control things and I think obviously stretching out in trip certainly helped,” Bott said.
“There’s a good bit of scope for him to improve and I think he’s a lovely horse for us going forward.”
Raf Attack, By Deep Impact’s New Zealand-based sire son Satono Aladdin, is set to be aimed towards the classic three-year-old races during the spring.