Save articles for later
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.
Gai Waterhouse and Lloyd Williams are both Australian racing hall of famers, but Waterhouse says it’s clear who calls the shots when it comes to their Melbourne Cup contender Serpentine.
“It’s easy [to train Serpentine] because Lloyd tells you what to do,” Waterhouse quipped.
Lloyd Williams, after Almandin won the Cup in 2016Credit: Getty
“You don’t have to worry because I get these detailed texts. I don’t have to think, I just act off the texts.
“He’s constantly sourcing and looking at information, and ringing people overseas, talking to trainers and jockeys who have ridden these horses. He’ll send you texts about different things.”
Waterhouse says she’s proposed a few ideas of her own, but the seven-time Melbourne Cup-winning owner rules the roost.
“Should I do this, Lloyd? I think the horse should run there. ‘Absolutely not, this is the way to go’,” Waterhouse said, when asked what her conversations with Williams are like.
“I say, ‘well, you’ve won six or eight of them, and I’ve only won one, so I’m going to stick with you, Lloyd’.
“But he’s fantastic, and it’s just a joy. He’s been in my life [a long time], a great friend of my father’s, and of course, they had Just A Dash win the Cup back many years ago. He hadn’t had a horse for me for about 20 years, and last year he gave me two or three horses to train, and it’s just joyous. He’s wonderful.”
Williams’ stranglehold on the Cup as its most successful owner will get tighter if Serpentine is able to win on Tuesday. He will also Cleveland, trained by Kris Lees and ridden by Mick Dee, running.
An Epsom Derby winner in 2020, Serpentine – a son of Galileo – joined Waterhouse and co-trainer Adrian Bott after finishing 20th in last year’s Melbourne Cup.
Lloyd Williams with Gai Waterhouse, back in 2011. They’ve reunited to enter Serpentine in this year’s Cup. Credit: Vince Caligiuri
But Waterhouse said the seven-year-old gelding was building in form, after finishing third in the Bart Cummings at his most recent start.
“He came last year and ran in the Cup, ingloriously, but I think we’ve resurrected him, Adrian and I, and I’m quietly confident,” Waterhouse said.
“He’s down in the weights. The jockey, Jye McNeil, has already won the Cup for the group – Lloyd and Nick – and he’ll give it a shake. He’ll really give it a shake.
“He’s an English Derby winner, and he won it by 10 lengths – they don’t win them by 10 lengths, so he’s a pretty special horse.”
But Waterhouse said she had an “unsung hero”, who might be able to upstage its stablemate on the first Tuesday of November. That horse is Military Mission, who won the Herbert Power last month, after finishing fourth in the group 1 Metropolitan.
“His run in the Metropolitan was phenomenal, coming from second-last, then he came out the other day and ran terrific,” Waterhouse said.
“He’s certainly the most exciting lightly raced horse [in the Cup]. You know when you see horses coming right; you just know when they’re coming right. Anyone sitting here today, if he’s in the Cup, you should definitely have something on him because he’s going great.”
Sydney hoop Rachel King will take the ride on Military Mission.
Military Mission will run in the Melbourne Cup for Gai Waterhouse and co-trainer Adrian Bott.Credit: Bradley Photographers
“[She’s] a natural lightweight rider, doesn’t have to waste or anything,” Waterhouse said.
“A lot of these other jockeys will be wasting to ride at the weights in the Cup, she does it with her eyes shut, and he’s already won for her.
“She knows him, and I’ve just got a gut feeling he’ll be fighting the finish out, I really do. It’s just what he’s needing. He’s thriving. His coat, his tail, his whole demeanour is spot on. ”
Waterhouse’s sole Melbourne Cup win was a decade ago, when Damien Oliver rode Fiorente to glory.
“I never forget going to the races that day,” Waterhouse said.
“I said, ‘Oh, I don’t think I can go, I’m so worried, I don’t want to let everyone down. Everyone’s saying you’re gunna win it, I just don’t want to go there and let them down’.
“And [my husband] Rob said, ‘for heaven’s sake, go out the door, you’re gunna win it, don’t worry about it’. He was very confident.
“But he [Fiorente] was just marvellous. He was a beautiful horse that took us on a ride that culminated here on Cup day.”
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
Most Viewed in Sport
From our partners
Source: Read Full Article