Waterhouse and Bott team eye Gold Coast Millions

By Glenn Davis

Gai Waterhouse’s training partner Adrian Bott is yet to raise the Magic Millions Classic Trophy but hopes to do so next month.

While Bott is still searching for his maiden Magic Millions Classic, Waterhouse has won the race in her own right four times with Assertive Lad (2000), Excellerator (2001), Dance Hero (2004) and Driefontein (2012).

The Waterhouse and Bott team will get a better guide of their Magic Millions Classic chances next month when early favourite Storm Boy tackles the Group 3 B.J. McLachlan Stakes over 1200 metres at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

The pair won last year’s B.J. McLachlan Stakes with The Novelist.

It was the fourth win for Waterhouse since 2000 in the race. 

In Sydney, their other big Magic Millions Classic hope Straight Charge lines up in the 2YO Plate over 1100 meters at Randwick.

The two youngsters currently lead Magic Millions Classic betting with Storm Boy an early $4.20 favourite while Straight Charge is on the second line with Victorian Spywire at $6.

Storm Boy earned Magic Millions Classic favouritism following his spectacular debut win over 1100 metres at Rosehill on December 2.

Straight Charge stormed into Magic Millions contention after finishing second on debut in the Group 3 Breeders Plate over 1000 metres at Randwick in September.

“It’s an important day for the stable on Saturday and both horses are very nice chances,” co-trainer Bott said.

“Storm Boy’s win at Rosehill was very good and he’s still got a lot of improvement to come.

“He should go even better this time while the form out of the Breeders Plate is very good for Straight Charge.

“Straight Charge is a lot more mature now than when he ran in the Breeders Plate and we earmarked the Magic Millions for him a long time ago.”

Bott has been training alongside Waterhouse for several years.

As a training partnership the best the pair have performed in the Magic Millions Classic was second and third with Platinum Jubilee and Summer Loving last year behind the Tony Gollan-trained Skirt The Law.

Waterhouse will miss the B.J. McLachlan Stakes as she is on a skiing holiday in Aspen in the United States.

Storm Boy is a son of Justify and was a $460,000 purchase at the 2023 Magic Millions sales.

His mother, Pelican, is a daughter of Fastnet Rock out of two-time New Zealand Horse of the Year, Seachange, who won 14 races including seven at the highest level.