Gai Waterhouse’s love affair with the Flight Stakes has continued as racing’s leading lady collected her eleventh win in the Group 1 feature courtesy of lightly raced filly Tropical Squall.
Waterhouse now sits just two shy of the record 13 Flight Stakes winner prepared by her father, legendary trainer T J Smith.
She shared in the spoils with training partner Adrian Bott, who said Tropical Squall was earmarked as an Oaks filly but showed enough early brilliance to earn her spot in Saturday’s final and most valuable leg of the four-race Princess Series.
“She has been crying out for the mile so I was really confident coming here today if we could make it a nice test for them and try to draw a bit of the speed out of the others, a bit of the brilliance,” Bott said.
“She was bred for this and ready. I’m just delighted it’s come off.
“The Oaks was always the original plan. She was originally going to go down to Melbourne a bit sooner on that path, but we thought she’d shown a bit more brilliance so we’d keep here for the Flight Stakes and then decide.”
The Oaks is still the favoured goal for Tropical Squall, who was having just her fourth start after winning her first two in midweek grade then placing in the Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) at her maiden stakes test.
“We weren’t necessarily rushed to get her there but that was more the run we thought she needed to have to condition her for a strong mile here,” Bott said.
“I still feel, given her breeding, she’s got the potential to get over a bit further so we’ll see exactly what the path looks like after today.
“But the Oaks is probably where we’ll look to aim up at.”
Tropical Squall gave jockey Adam Hyeronimus his second Group 1 after Shout The Bar in the 2020 Vinery Stud Stakes and capped his comeback from a more than two-year ban for betting offences.
Hyeronimus said there was a time when he thought his riding career was over and he credited Waterhouse and Bott as major influences in his decision to return earlier this year.
“I didn’t think I’d ever ride again to be honest, I had no intentions,” Hyeronimus said.
“Obviously I rode my first one for them at the start of the pandemic , no-one was there and celebrations were quite quiet, but to ride another Group One winner for them is very special.
“They’ve always been there for me and I’ve got a great relationship with the pair of them.”
Tropical Squall ($9) scored by three-quarters of a length over the consistent Kimochi ($6) with Tutta La Vita ($11) another 1-1/4 lengths away third.
Dabble favourite Tiz Invincible ($2.80) had a tough run from a wide draw but battled on soundly for sixth.