Gai Waterhouse has questioned whether prize money for feature country and provincial races should be spread more evenly as she prepares a four-strong team for Saturday’s Inglis 3YO Guineas at Scone.
A sales-restricted event, the Guineas (1400m) does not carry black-type status but it does offer $400,000 in stakes, almost five times the value of an ordinary Saturday benchmark race.
Tulloch Lodge will have four horses bidding for a share of it – Woodbine, Liberty’s Choice, Ryker and Cosmic Endeavour.
But Waterhouse, who admits she prefers the traditional form of Saturday meetings in the Sydney metropolitan area, says greater equity in the value of feature races is needed to encourage the bigger stables to support flagship races outside the city.
She cited disparities between the prize money offered during recent carnivals at Wagga Wagga, Hawkesbury and Scone saying the fact the Guineas at Wagga was worth just 10 per cent of Scone’s version needed reassessment.
“It’s rather sad that when we went to Wagga the Guineas there was worth $40,000,” Waterhouse said.
“There’s a Hawkesbury $100,000 benchmark 85 and at Wagga they’re giving nothing to a Guineas. They should be looking at it more closely and saying Wagga should have a $100,000 (Guineas) and the benchmark 85 at Hawkesbury should be an $80,000 Saturday race.
“That’s what I would do, boost those country races so people would take their three-year-olds to Wagga.”
Instead, Waterhouse is taking a quartet of hers to Scone where filly Cosmic Endeavour is the most favoured.
A Group Two winner during the autumn carnival in Sydney, Cosmic Endeavour is second pick in early markets while stablemate Woodbine is on the fourth line of betting.
The trainer agrees that pair stand out as her best chances, particularly Woodbine who was a last-start seventh in the All Aged Stakes and will be without blinkers for the first time on Saturday.
“Any one of them, probably going Woodbine, Cosmic Endeavour,” Waterhouse said when ranking her four.
“I’ve got a cross-over noseband on (Woodbine) as well and he seems to be much more relaxed with it on.”
Liberty’s Choice has also had blinkers removed after racing too fiercely in front at Hawkesbury last start and compounding in the straight.
He has subsequently won a barrier trial and his prior form was promising, including a first-up third in the Canberra Guineas and a fourth in the Carbine Club Stakes.