Evacuation has just his second start in Sydney on the weekend but co-trainer Gai Waterhouse has a high opinion of the youngster who could target the Caulfield Guineas 2016 in Melbourne this October.
Gai Waterhouse has the 2016 Caulfield Guineas in mind for Evacuation who returns to racing in Sydney on Saturday. Photo: Daniel Costello.
Waterhouse and training partner Adrian Bott have More Than Ready colt Evacuation entered for a first-up run on Saturday in an $85,000 Benchmark 70 Handicap (1400m) for three-year-olds on The Run To The Rose Day at Rosehill Gardens.
The nicely-bred galloper has had just the one official start to date when posting an impressive three and three-quarter length win on debut over 1000m at Kembla Grange in mid-April.
He won his maiden race after three eye-catching Sydney trials and has again been very good in recent hit-outs leading up to his three-year-old debut.
On July 29 Evacuation won a 740m Randwick heat by three lengths and then on August 9 he and jockey Kerrin McEvoy combined for a four length romp home in a 1045m trial win at the same track on Heavy going.
“His [benchmark] rating isn’t too high so I’m using what you could describe as an easy option, kicking him off in a benchmark race on Saturday,” Waterhouse told Racenet.
“I like him; I like him a lot.
“He’s very much a More Than Ready, loose and laid back sort of horse that I expect will make a very good middle distance sort of horse. A very relaxed individual.”
Waterhouse said she had Evacuation earmarked as a miler this campaign and hoped to have him ready for a shot at the $1 million Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 8.
“I’m eyeing off the Caulfield Guineas for him,” she said.
“He’ll probably go through races like the Stutt Stakes which I’ve used before with horses like Pierro.”
The $200,000 Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) runs at Moonee Valley Racecourse on September 30.
Waterhouse’s 2012 Run To The Rose winner Pierro took out the Stutt Stakes that spring before his second to All Too Hard in the Caulfield Guineas.
The champion galloper turned sire also ran third to Ocean Park in that season’s Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m).
To date Waterhouse has saddled-up eight Caulfield Guineas runners for two seconds and two thirds, a record she’s out to add to this Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
Current pre-field Caulfield Guineas odds at Ladbrokes.com.au are led by Divine Prophet after the Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes-trained colt won last Saturday’s Group 3 Up & Coming Stakes (1300m) in Sydney.
Evacuation can be found further down the all-in Caulfield Guineas betting markets at $31 to hand Waterhouse her maiden win in the mile classic.
To back Evacuation this weekend and over the spring at the right price head to our No. 1 recommended bookmaker Ladbrokes.com.au today – home of Odds Boost (T&C’s apply).
