Co-trained Gai Waterhouse has confirmed a first-up run in next month’s 2016 The Shorts for All Aged Stakes winner English who blitzed her Sydney trial on Friday morning.
Group 1 winner English is set to resume racing in The Shorts 2016 at Randwick on September 17. Photo: Steve Hart.
The daughter of Encosta De Lago worked her way through the field in the morning’s opening heat at Randwick on the Kensington track, Tommy Berry aboard for the tight win over Chris Waller’s duo Japonisme and Mackintosh in the 850m hit-out.
It was the first official public appearance by English since the then three-year-old’s victory over Black Heart Bart in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 16.
That followed a third behind the successful defending champion Chautauqua in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) a fortnight earlier during ‘The Championships’.
English was a star juvenile the previous autumn winning the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) before her second to Vancouver in the 2015 Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m).
She took out the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) first-up 12 months later kicking off another strong campaign, form Waterhouse is hoping the now four-year-old can repeat this Spring Racing Carnival.
The hot trial form suggested all was on track for the $1.7 million earner who is now trained by Waterhouse in partnership with Tulloch Lodge’s former racing manager Adrian Bott.
First-up the stable have pencilled in a run back at Randwick on September 17 in the $200,000 Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) on George Main Stakes Day before heading south to Melbourne.
Last year’s The Shorts winner was the Gary Portelli-trained Rebel Dane who went on to run third to Chautauqua two runs later in the $1 million Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Eve.
Waterhouse has the same elite level on the agenda for English this season, the mare to target the 2016 Manikato Stakes on October 21 under the lights at the Valley in what will likely be her first run outside of Sydney.
From four previous Manikato Stakes runners Waterhouse has enjoyed a second and a third, but is yet to take out the sprint feature, nominations for which close on September 20, 2016.
The reigning The Shorts winner Rebel Dane meanwhile races at Randwick this Saturday taking on star mare Winx in the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m).
He comes off a fist-up second in the mud behind Tycoon Tara in the Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m), while the Chris Waller-trained Winx has her first start since extending her winning streak to nine straight in the autumn’s Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m).
To back English first-up and over her spring in both Sydney and Melbourne at the right price head to Ladbrokes.com.au today!
