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Playing By The Rules

Apr 19, 2024

Will Hudson aids us with programming and identifies who he thinks is the best placed horse each weekend. Kibou, Saturday 20th April, Royal Randwick, Race 10: This talented son of Maurice’s two trials this time in have been extremely encouraging. I love how he’s attacked the line in each of them, and he appears to have returned at the top of his game. He’s rated 86 so resuming in a Benchmark 88 Handicap is ideal from a placement perspective, and he won first-up in the same grade of race over the same distance last preparation so he’s really ticking all the right boxes. He was rated 82 on that occasion, so he has 2kg more on his back here which makes life slightly tougher. However, he was a Group 3 winner in his early three-year-old career before injury intervened so he’s a very talented gelding who will hopefully return to that higher grade later in his preparation. Regan knows him inside out, and whilst he might have to do a bit of work from barrier 13 he should be able to overcome this to be right there at the finish.

Wrap Up: Inglis Easter Sale 2024

Apr 12, 2024

Monday wrapped up the 2024 sales season and the team are buzzing with excitement over the yearlings we secured for the stable. We walked out of the Warwick Farm complex with 16 top-notch prospects in tow. We still have a handful of shares available in six of these beauties, so if you're looking to jump on the winning bandwagon, now's your chance. If you're curious about what makes our picks so special check out the video preview below where Adrian, Bruce, Claudia, and Emma spill the beans on why these yearlings are tailor-made for Tulloch Lodge. Lot 406 - I Am Invincible x Adrift Colt: Purchase Price: $1.15M - Segenhoe Stud Colours Available: No LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE PEDIGREE UPDATE: This colt's full sister SEASCAPE bolted in today on debut, winning by just under five lengths at Gosford. Watch the full race replay here. By Champion sire I AM INVINCIBLE out of a Group 2 winning ZABEEL mare (whom we trained) who has already produced multiple Stakes winner, ZARASTRO (full-brother), and SEASCAPE (full-sister) from just two foals to race. I AM INVINCIBLE crossed with ZABEEL = 100% strike rate of winners to runners From the family of Group 1 winner ENTRIVIERE Bred by astute breeder John Camilleri who bred WINX and our very own Golden Slipper winner, VANCOUVER A Golden Slipper / Coolmore Stud Stakes type View his sales page and pedigree here. Lot 89 - Farnan x Jennifer Eccles Colt: Purchase Price: $600,000 - Kia Ora Stud Colours Available: No By our Golden Slipper winner and Champion 2YO Farnan This colt is the spitting image of his father and the first foal out of Leading NZ 3YO filly and Filly of the Year, Group 1 NZ Oaks winner Jennifer Eccles A September foal, he is exceedingly athletic and looks an early comer View his sales page and pedigree page here. Lot 370 - Maurice x Valalie Filly: Purchase Price: $320,000 - Arrowfield Stud Colours Available: No This September born filly possesses the scope and depth we love to see at Tulloch Lodge The second born foal out of a Group 1 placed Snitzel mare By a sire we have a lot of time for thanks to our Group 3 winner KIBOU, Listed winner GANBARE and 2YO Stakes winning filly AZULA This athletic filly is from the same family as Champion racehorse and Group 1 producing sire DUNDEEL and Champion 3YO Filly in NZ, STARING View her sales page and pedigree here. Lot 172 - I Am Invincible x Mumbai Rock Filly: Purchase Price: $525,000 - Coolmore Stud Colours Available: No By our leading Champion sire in I Am Invincible Out of the Fastnet Rock mare Mumbai Rock who has had five foals to race, all winners including 3 Stakes horses 1 in 4 I Am Invincible racehorses out of Fastnet Rock mares win Black Type Bred on the same cross as QUEEN OF THE BALL and BODYGUARD View her sales page and pedigree here. If you would like additional information on our purchases, please contact our Bloodstock team: Claudia Fitzgerald - claudia@gaiwaterhouse.com.au or 0422 545 990 Emma Coleman - ecoleman@gaiwaterhouse.com.au or 0474 161 041 Bruce Slade - bruce@kestrelthoroughbreds.com.au or 0400 505 238 Happy Racing, Gai & Adrian

Playing By The Rules

Apr 6, 2024

Our Racing Manager, Emma Reeves, aids us with programming and identifies who she thinks is the best placed horse each weekend. Storm Boy, Saturday 6th April, Royal Randwick, Race 6: I am going on maternity leave in a couple of weeks so this will be my final Playing By The Rules for a few months, and therefore I’m hoping to go out with a bang via a Group 1 win. Ordinarily I would say stick with the proven horse as you just don’t fluke a Golden Slipper win, but I’m stepping outside of my own rule book. I wasn’t surprised by the result that day because Lady Of Camelot is just so fast and bombproof, so if you have a chink in the armour, she will find you out. With the way things played out in running, I thought Storm Boy’s effort was also top class, and that of a horse who will appreciate the slightly steadier tempo of a 1400 metre contest. James McDonald will be acutely aware of how this colt needs to be ridden and if the rain that’s forecast shows up, it’s going to be a real test of stamina for these young horses, blunting the turn of foot for the out and out speed horses. The track conditions and how they handle it is the real unknown, but I think people are too quick to write horses off and he did start very short priced favourite in a Golden Slipper so I’m sticking with him.

Playing By The Rules

Mar 29, 2024

Our Racing Manager, Emma Reeves, aids us with programming and identifies who she thinks is the best placed horse each weekend. Hawaii Five Oh, Saturday 30th March, Rosehill Gardens, Race 6: I was tempted to go with a couple of my old friends in Serpentine and Anode but they aren't perfectly weighted with one or two of their rivals so I'm going to cast my net a little wider and go with Hawaii Five Oh. This is a better example of us having to be flexible with a long range plan versus one following the script beautifully. Last preparation he was a revelation as a sprinter and did an incredible job against the best weight-for-age sprinters in the country. This time in he has simply returned a little dourer so rather than start him last week in the Group 1 The Galaxy over 1100 metres, he begins his campaign here. This is the most winnable level he has raced in since this time last year so if he brings his recent form, and that's the million dollar question, he won't be beaten.

Playing By The Rules

Mar 22, 2024

Our Racing Manager, Emma Reeves, aids us with programming and identifies who she thinks is the best placed horse each weekend. Osmose, Saturday 23rd March, Rosehill Gardens, Race 3: I will let the two-year-olds do the talking for themselves, but don’t take that as a lack of confidence as I think this could be a very memorable, special Golden Slipper for us. The Epona has been a long-range plan for Osmose, Howgoodareyou too, but having placed in multiple Stakes races without winning one, it means Osmose is very highly rated but doesn’t incur a penalty. She’s therefore extremely well in at the weights in her grand final where she’s racing over an ideal distance in a race where she is set to peak. There does look to be a lot of speed here but with some luck in running, I think she will be hard to beat.

Playing By The Rules

Mar 15, 2024

Our Racing Manager, Emma Reeves, aids us with programming and identifies who she thinks is the best placed horse each weekend.  Anode, Saturday 16th March, Rosehill Gardens, Race 4: A very open race for my pick of the week this week but I felt that this colt was underestimated prior to his debut, and I think the same could be happening here. He hasn’t taken on the top tier proven colts just yet but outside of Coleman, who has a number of things to overcome this week, his main rivals are coming through the midweeks. We knew he would be vulnerable over 1000 metres first up, but I thought he did a fantastic job having been caught wide with no cover throughout. Although he’s drawn wide again, the tempo of a 1200 metre contest should allow him to get into a much more comfortable rhythm and being second up, I think he’ll be very strong at the finish and tough to run down.

Playing By The Rules

Mar 8, 2024

  Our Racing Manager, Emma Reeves, aids us with programming and identifies who she thinks is the best placed horse each weekend. So United, Canberra, Sunday 10th March, Canberra Cup: I’m extremely excited about the two-year-olds, the return of Red Resistance and don’t give up on Jon Bon, but I had to go with So United this week. I should start by saying that there might be a percentage of bias in this one though I am trying to bring it back to the black and white facts. Every year around July and August I start to think about some of the less obvious possible Magic Millions contenders that are currently in work. They’re often older, consistent Saturday class horses, whereas the glossy two and three-year-olds aren’t hard to find. In August of last year So United had been in work for a long time was almost always running top four but I felt a spell was on the horizon so after speaking with Gai, Adrian and David Mourad from Blueblood Thoroughbreds, we devised a Magic Millions plan. As I’ve said before, few horses stick to the plan because they’re living, breathing animals and we need to react to each individual but for whatever reason, things seemed to go perfectly to script with him. He won his first Saturday race and the preparation culminated with a win in the $1mil. Magic Millions Subzero. That might not sound as exciting as winning a Golden Slipper but for my role, these are what make it all worthwhile. So United is one of only four horses in this Canberra Cup field of 11 who’s suitably weighted according to his handicap rating and with these older, exposed stayers, I do think that’s quite relevant. Each of those horses, excluding So United, are also nominated for Randwick the day before so keep an eye on the scratchings at 7.30am Saturday morning. Two of those three finished 1-2.5 lengths behind him in the Parramatta Cup which isn’t a large margin but So United was first up off a freshen in the paddock and only one trial, so I expect there to be more improvement in him. The final one of the three is dropping back from finishing fourth in a Caulfield Cup which is certainly eye catching, but he is first up. So United hasn’t won at this level but we have so much success in this race and I think this is his opportunity.

Playing By The Rules

Mar 1, 2024

Our Racing Manager, Emma Reeves, aids us with programming and identifies who she thinks is the best placed horse each weekend.StormBoy, Saturday 2nd March, Royal Randwick, Race 4:I had hoped to bring you something a little less obvious, but I suppose ‘obvious’ is the purpose of this as I am looking for horses who fit every piece of the puzzle. How can I fault an unbeaten colt who’s putting a margin on his rivals, breaking the clock and is capable of sustaining pressure at both ends of his races? My mum was an amateur jockey in England and always told me that you can immediately feel a good horse underneath you because they have a naturally high cruising speed and they quicken off it, you’re simply a passenger. Every time I see this colt race or even trial, I think of that. It looks effortless. One thing I have learnt in my time with Gai and Adrian is that the best two-year-olds almost fly under the radar. That doesn’t mean that they’re bad trackworkers, it just means they go about everything with minimum fuss, so they aren’t necessarily the ones people are talking about straight out of the breaking in process. Maybe that coincides with my previous comments about it all simply being so easy for them. I simply can’t see him being beaten on Saturday.

Playing By The Rules

Feb 23, 2024

Our Racing Manager, Emma Reeves, aids us with programming and identifies who she thinks is the best placed horse each weekend. Espionage, Saturday 24th February, Rosehill, Race 4: I’m excited about all of our two-year-olds on Saturday, in both states. I wouldn’t be surprised to see any of them win but I’ve gone with Espionage because he’s proven in Stakes grade and is hard to knock being one win for one start. He did it very tough that day so I think there was a lot of merit to the win, though I could say the same for his stablemate who he faces once again on Saturday, hence he only just nudges him out as my pick of the week. While trials and trackwork give you a guide, it’s extremely difficult to tell how these young horses have developed and will shape up against the big guns over the autumn but there’s some really strong form coming out of the Breeders’ Plate. I’m hopeful that he jumps away cleanly, the way he did in his most recent trial, because there’s no margin for error at this time of year. If he does that, I expect his opponents to have a good fight on their hands.

RSVP: Tulloch Lodge Yearling Parade at Evergreen Stud

Feb 21, 2024

Our not to be missed annual Tulloch Lodge Yearling Parade is set for Friday 8th March at 11am followed by 1pm lunch at Merewether Surfhouse. This is a great opportunity to meet first hand the Magic Millions, Karaka and Classic yearlings we have shares available in, with Adrian, our bloodstock team and our breaker Johnny Butler on hand to talk through each of them. Last year at the corresponding event we paraded eight yearlings for existing owners: STORM BOY (Justify x Pelican) - $3m Magic Millions winner and current Group 1 Golden Slipper favourite SHANGRI LA EXPRESS (Alabama Express x Sent From Above) - winner of the $1m Golden Gift and Kirkham Stakes and third favourite for the Group 1 Golden Slipper SHIVERMEPINK (Zoustar x Pretty In Pink) - Close second to Too Darn Lizzie in a trial a week ago, will trial again before racing in the Autumn. SHANGRI LA SPRING (Castelvecchio x Opportunity)- looked sharp in his jump-outs before a spell. Returns to the stable with a view to racing through the back end of the Autumn and Winter. I AM A ROCKSTAR (Fastnet Rock x I Am A Star) - trialled for the first time with a nice 2nd placing a fortnight ago. He has since been spelled. A horse to follow, looks progressive. CAPITALIST X ESPAANIYAH colt - he had a set back in January. Showed good speed before that. Returns to work in the Autumn.  PARIS TYCOON (Written Tycoon x Paris Match) - jumped out last preparation before a spell. Returns to work later this month. Expect to see more of her this preparation.  INVINCIBLE DUCHESS (I Am Invincible x Ben's Duchess) - returns to work later this month. Has been well educated, just physically has not been ready to trial in earlier preparations.  As you can see, attending this parade can be very worthwhile, and the group of 8 are still relatively unexposed so who knows what other race wins we can add to the CVs of these current 2YOs over the next 12 months.  VIDEO: Skip to 8.57 to hear what Adrian and Bruce had to say at last year's parade about STORM BOY in the video below. Date Friday 8th March Time 11am - Yearling Parade at Evergreen Stud 1pm - Lunch at Merewether Surfhouse   Address Evergreen Stud 2163 Pacific Hwy, Heatherbrae, NSW, 2324 Merewether Surfhouse  5 Henderson Parade, Merewether, NSW, 2291 RSVP for our 2024 Tulloch Lodge Yearling Parade to Emma Coleman at ecoleman@gaiwaterhouse.com.au by Wednesday 28th February. Please also note if you would like to join us for lunch overlooking the famous Merewether Beach (pro-rata cost per head).

Playing By The Rules

Feb 16, 2024

Our Racing Manager, Emma Reeves, aids us with programming and identifies who she thinks is the best placed horse each weekend. Jon Bon, Saturday 17th February, Newcastle, Race 6: Very difficult one this week with the Carnival starting to heat up so I thought I’d use the opportunity to give the Jon Bon story that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. I would imagine that few people were expecting to see him salute over 1200 metres on debut against the older horses, myself included. I saw it as a starting point with a view to get him over further but that win prompted us to spell and geld him, enabling us to get the timing right for the ATC Derby. Last year’s Derby winner, Major Beel, was a similar style of horse so we used his autumn program as a blueprint. Jon Bon began in the very same race this preparation and while it wasn’t the same result, we learnt a few things. Firstly, we’ve added blinkers to keep him focused and sharpen him up and secondly, he has completed some intensive barrier work. We also took him to the Randwick races on Wednesday to stand in the tie up stalls, simulating a raceday experience. Our goal is to bring his pre-race energy levels down so every ounce of energy is reserved for his race. Yes, he races older horses which is tough, but I just think that these additional ingredients combined with the step up in trip should see him be much more competitive.

Playing By The Rules

Feb 9, 2024

Our Racing Manager, Emma Reeves, aids us with programming and identifies who she thinks is the best placed horse each weekend. Omni Man, Saturday 10th February, Royal Randwick, Race 8: I want to start by saying, don’t leave our two-year-olds out this week, I simply didn’t have a lengthy enough ‘programming story’ to make them the pick of the week. That includes not only the two who’re likely to start favourite in the Lonhro Plate & Inglis Millennium, but also a previous pick of mine in Trunk who might just represent some value. I originally started to write this piece about Very Sewreel at Hobart on Sunday as any of you who read this regularly will know that I love these ‘left of centre’ moves and am even more giddy over the fact that it’s in Tasmania, against three-year-old fillies, off a win against older mares in Victoria. Frustratingly the top horse is extremely well in at the weights so I’m going to go with Omni Man. This gelding’s first up record is almost flawless, albeit in a much lower grade. He is proven at this level and has won over the distance and on a good track in five out of seven tries. His record is impossible to fault, he just loves winning, so this makes him this week’s pick.