Waterhouse Takes Wraps Off A 'serious' Youngster

Sun Herald

Sunday May 25, 2008

By Craig Young Randwick

GAI WATERHOUSE could have another high-class racehorse for Eduardo Cojuangco's Gooree Stud after the stunning debut of Strategic Maneuver at headquarters yesterday.

"Top drawer, a really serious colt," Waterhouse said. "Very handsome this horse, a chestnut, he can get on the bit, travel wherever you want to. What do they say? He is the full complement."

Of course, Waterhouse is in charge of likely two-year-old of the year Sebring. That youngster won the Golden Slipper and Sires' Produce Stakes before finishing second in the Champagne Stakes.

Then there was Amelia's Dream, which broke down after her Silver Slipper romp. The breathtaking win may well have been the best turned in by a juvenile this season, but Waterhouse believes Strategic Maneuver is heading to the elite league.

Strategic Maneuver is a three-quarter brother to Gooree's former high-class juvenile Royal Courtship and could head to Queensland as Waterhouse eyes off feature events.

"If I don't take him to Queensland I'll give him a couple of runs here, freshen him up and get him ready for the classic three-year-old races," she said. "He'll get a mile easily."

Waterhouse's stable jockey Nash Rawiller was given an armchair ride on Strategic Maneuver, which started a red-hot $1.60 favourite and supporters never had cause for concern.

"He has always shown ability and nice to see him come out and do that," Rawiller said.

"I was very confident he'd win today. He is very professional. The first time I rode him on top of the ground he gave me a good feel."

Waterhouse prepared Royal Courtship, which started favourite in the 2001 Golden Slipper when beaten, and another Gooree juggernaut was Desert War, which was retired just three weeks ago.

"He [Strategic Maneuver] is a pretty exciting horse," Gooree Stud manager Andrew Baddock said. "As promising a two-year-old as we've had since Royal Courtship and we had Red Hannigan that season as well. This horse has shown a lot of natural talent."

Unfortunately, Royal Courtship was a gelding but Baddock assured Strategic Maneuver would remain an entire and reported the colt stayed at the Mudgee-based stud throughout the equine influenza crisis.

Waterhouse revealed patience was the key to Strategic Maneuver.

"He just wasn't ready, I turned him out and brought him back in," she said. "The transformation in the horse has been amazing.

"If you saw him three months ago and saw him today you wouldn't know it is the same horse.

"Look at him walk around, he is a really serious colt."

Rawiller parked Strategic Maneuver outside the lead and, after coasting up the rise, waited before letting the two-year-old loose.

On the post Strategic Maneuver had 23/4 lengths to spare over the Kris Lees-trained Withoutme ($19). Rank outsider Crown Seal ($201) battled on gamely to finish third, a half-length away from Withoutme.

The Waterhouse-Gooree-Rawiller team failed to land a running double when Rabbuka was beaten as a $1.55 favourite in race four.

© 2008 Sun Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home