Lady Of Camelot joins Tulloch Lodge's Golden Slipper-bound team
Sydney Saturday two-year-old racing is almost the private domain of the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable this season – it's just the winners names that change each week.
At Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, the trainers produced another two classy two-year-olds who made Golden Slipper statements with stylish comeback wins.
Lady Of Camelot confirmed her rating as the stable's benchmark filly when she raced away with the Group 3 $250,000 Widden Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Her win came soon after stablemate Prost proved his quality winning the Group 3 $250,000 Canonbury Stakes (1100m).
Lady Of Camelot and Prost were the 10th and 11th individual juvenile winners of 14 races so far from the Waterhouse-Bott stable in the 2023-24 season which includes unbeaten trio Storm Boy, Shangri La Express and Espionage.
"We're in a great position going towards the Golden Slipper this year,'' Bott said of the stable's two-year-old dominance.
"It is interesting both our winners today have run time. The colts division was a fast race that Prost won then Lady Of Camelot has come out and made all the running.
"The stable does have some very talented colts this season but Lady Of Camelot showed today why we rate her our best filly.''
Lady Of Camelot ($1.60 favourite) led throughout and was simply too fast for her rivals, winning by nearly three lengths from Manaal ($9.50) with Wave Breaker ($15) a half length away third.
The winning times of Lady Of Camelot and Prost made for interesting comparison.
Lady Of Camelot scorched around the Rosehill 1100m in a flying 1m 2.53s – a new race record and the fastest time ever recorded by a two-year-old over the course and distance. She was only 0.02s outside Westicaro's long-standing course record set in 2007.
Prost also established a new race record for the Canonbury when he stopped the clock at a swift 1min 3.25sec.
But Lady Of Camelot's win seems the most impressive to the eye and this was reflected when adjustments were made to betting on the $5m Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 23 with the filly firming from $26 into $13 behind Storm Boy $3 favourite.
Prost was $26 into $17.
Trainer Adrian Bott said the Blue Diamond is a possibility for Lady Of Camelot leading into the Golden Slipper. Picture: Getty Images
Star jockey Tim Clark rode Lady Of Camelot and Prost to their impressive Rosehill wins and has a lofty opinion of both promising youngster who he describes them as "different types of two-year-olds.''
"Prost is quite laid-back and only does what he has to do but Lady Of Camelot is very precocious, very fast and is a natural runner,'' Clark said.
"They are both well above average and both had the preparation previously in the spring which helps them going towards the Golden Slipper. I am very lucky to be riding a couple of two-year-olds of their quality.
"I thought the most impressive part of Lady Of Camelot's win was the way she drew away from her opposition.
"She is very good, she's done a great job. She wouldn't break ice, she's so light on her feet and she's got such a good cruising speed.
"I think she's just naturally so fast, I think trying to harness her too much would take away from her asset.''
Lady Of Camelot gave Waterhouse her seventh win in the Widden Stakes after Miss Bussell (2000), Secret Land (2002), Pasikatera (2005), Horizons (2009), Driefontein (2012) and Overreach (2013).
Overreach trained on to win the Golden Slipper, a double Mossfun also achieved in 2014.
Bott hinted that Lady Of Camelot will have one, maybe two more starts into the Golden Slipper with the Blue Diamond at Caulfield a possibility.
Manaal (green) beat Lady Of Camelot (yellow) in the Gimcrack Stakes in the spring and Tommy Berry is looking forward to a rematch. Picture: Getty Images
"Lady Of Camelot could go to a Blue Diamond, or we could look at Prost or Anode, or maybe Fully Lit and Trunk who race next week in the Inglis Millennium,'' Bott said.
"We will just see how they all pull up and work out the best program to get to the Golden Slipper.''
Lady Of Camelot, a daughter of champion sire Written Tycoon, is the third foal out of Fastnet Rock mare Miss Debutante. She has produced three fillies and all have won stakes races – Platinum Jubilee won the Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes and Queen Of The Ball is a multiple stakeswinner including the Widden Stakes two years ago.
"It's great to with this race with Lady Of Camelot for (owner) Sir Owen Glenn and his team at Go Bloodstock, they've been great supporters of us,'' Bott said.
"The filly is beautifully bred, she's well-related. The first two progeny (Queen Of The Ball and Platinum Jubilee) have been stakes winning two-year-olds as well, so she becomes the third in just three foals. The dam is obviously very valuable."
The Michael Freedman-trained Manaal, who had beaten Lady Of Camelot in the Gimcrack Stakes earlier in the season, resumed with a pleasing second in the Widden.
Tommy Berry, rider of Manaal, is looking forward to a rematch with Lady Of Camelot in the autumn carnival.
"Manaal got a bit lost at the top of the straight but she knuckled down well late,'' Berry said.
"She was also giving the winner 3kg so it was a good effort. My filly has only had two soft trials on the bit before this race and has had a good blow after the race.
"It's still ‘game on' going to the Golden Slipper and I do think my filly will be suited going out to the Sires and Champagne Stakes.''
