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Waterhouse breaks Group 1 Qld drought in Doomben 10,000

12 May 2018

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By Glenn Davis

Australia’s Queen Of The Turf, Gai Waterhouse smashed her Group 1 drought in Queensland when English claimed the Doomben 10,000 on Saturday.

In a gun ride from Sydney’s Tim Clark, English powered home along the rails to down the fast finishing Impending by a long head.

Le Roman was third, a further half neck away.

English gave Clark his second Doomben 10,000 triumph after he won on Hot Danish in 2010.

Waterhouse, who trains in partnership with Adrian Bott, hasn’t won at the highest level in Queensland since Pornichet won the Doomben Cup in 2015.

It was the Waterhouse-Bott partnership’s fourth Group 1 win since teaming up two years ago.

Waterhouse attended the Scone meeting on Saturday but Bott was thrilled the partnership was back on top at elite level.

“It’s great to see everything fall in place with her,” Bott said.

“This race really suited her after she ran second in the Golden Slipper as a two-year-old and she’s won a Group 1 at weight-for-age in the All Aged Stakes.”

Bott said the sky was the limit for English during the Brisbane winter carnival and she could also head to the $13 million The Everest at Randwick in the spring.

“She’ll run next in the (Group 1) BTC Cup and she’s been nominated for the Stradbroke,” he said.

“She’s also in the (Group 1) Tatt’s Tiara so everything is open to her.

“We came here very confident after we freshened her up following her sixth in the (Group 1) T J Smith in Sydney.”

Bott said the Doomben surface suited English who took her record to six wins in 25 starts and boosted her prizemoney to $3.44 million.

Clark has been riding in career-best form after claiming the Group 1 Robert Sangster at Morphettville on the Anthony Freedman-trained Shoals on May 5.

He later capped a memorable day at Doomben winning the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate on Dark Dream for Kembla trainer Kerry Parker, who attended Saturday’s Scone meeting.

Dark Dream made his opposition look second rate storming home for a commanding four length win over Higher Ground in the 2000-metre feature.

California Turbo was third, a further long neck away.

Dark Dream made his Queensland debut when runner-up to Villermont in the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic at Doomben last month.

“How are they going to beat him in the Queensland Derby,” Clark said.

“He put them away in just a few strides and pulled up like he never went around.

“Kerry only has a small team in work and this was a dominant win.

“It’s great to be back in the Sunshine State and this win caps a remarkable day.”

Racing Queensland webnews   May 12