Gai Waterhouse | Gai Waterhouse News 59169 Tulloch Lodge 202324 Season Review

In review of the 2023/24 Australian racing season, it is rewarding to see our Gai Waterhouse/Adrian Bott training partnership lift to another level from last season, our previous best.

We trained more Group 1, Stakes, and Metropolitan wins than any other season, and in turn our horses and their owners won more prize-money in total.

Below is a table which compares our Tulloch Lodge results since our partnership began in the 2016/17 season:

Some key points of interest for you:

Metropolitan Performance:

The quality of the stable along with our intent to maximise earnings for owners has seen a real shift in our representation of runners in Metropolitan races. Three seasons ago (21/22) for every Metro runner we had in NSW, we would have a runner in the Provincial or Country at a 1:1 ratio. This was the same four seasons ago. In 2022/23 the ratio moved to 1.95 Metro runners per 1 Provincial/Country runner in NSW, and this past season that improved again to 2.68:1. Given we saddled our most number of runners this season we can surmise that our owners are attending Metropolitan races with runners over two and half times more now than they were just two seasons prior. Our stable's prize-money per starter has increased as a result too. More good news for owners.

2YOs:

We had another strong year with our 2YOs. The quality was up with 11 Stakes races won by 2YOs this season, versus 7 last year. Plus our 2YOs were able to win 4 of the 12 $1m+ races for their age group via Lady Of Camelot (Golden Slipper), Storm Boy (MM 2YO Classic), Fully Lit (Inglis Millenium) and Shangri La Express (Golden Gift). Hopefully this bodes well for 3YOs this season.

Stable Champion 2YO:

Sir Owen Glenn's Golden Slipper winner LADY OF CAMELOT was our Champion 2YO of the season, and she will be Australian Racing's too. She went very close to winning the Blue Diamond as well. Lady Of Camelot was also our highest prize-money earner this season collecting just over $3.5m over 5 starts. Notable mention to Storm Boy who carried the Cunningham Thoroughbreds silks to third in the Golden Slipper, won the Magic Million 2YO Classic and two other Group races in his 2YO campaign. He was our second highest prize-money earner for the season with $2.6m.

3YOs:

Our 3YOs who made up our record 2YO winning tally the year before converted nicely into 11 Stakes winners last season, 2 at Group 1 level. This was our best up from 9 Stakes winners the season before. Our 3YOs won 85 times versus 57 the year before too, so as you might expect that good 2YO crop continued their success in their 3YO season for us and it bodes well for the newly turned 3YOs in Tulloch Lodge for this coming season.

Stable Champion 3YO:

Gooree's TROPICAL SQUALL was good enough to win at Group 1 level in the Spring and the Autumn of her 3YO season in the Flight Stakes and Surround Stakes respectively. She was one of 7x $1m+ earners for the stable with $1,014,000 accumulated over 8 starts and 3 wins.

Older Horses:

Our older horses made another valuable contribution to our stable with 55 wins and over $11m in prize-money, basically on par with the season before. Keeping quality gallopers sound and happy really pays off for owners in terms of fun and earnings, plus our girls and boys who look after them love having them around. They are stable favourites.

Stable Champion Older Horse: 

Gerry Harvey's ALLIGATOR BLOOD was a super star again for the stable adding 2 Group 1 wins in the Spring to take his total Group 1 wins to 6 for our stable. He is the most decorated racehorse since our partnership began and holds a very special place in our hearts. 

Millionaires:

We were blessed to have 7 racehorses in our care win over $1m in prize-money this season versus 2 last year and 3 the year before. These included Lady Of Camelot, Storm Boy, Alligator Blood, Hawaii Five Oh, Fully Lit, Military Mission, & Tropical Squall.

 

Stable Most Winningest Horse:

This was shared by STORM BOY & INVINCIBLE SPY with 4 wins apiece. Storm Boy we know well, while Invincible Spy in the First Light Racing silks did a great job to work his way through his grades quickly this year from a Newcastle maiden win over 1400m to a Randwick Saturday race win over 1800m, and two wins in between. He looks a nice progressive 4YO for his owners going into this season.

 

Stable Horse with Most Starts:

MILITARY MISSION in the Montague/Lilley silks and GOLD BULLION in the Newgate/China Horse Club Colts syndicate colours both averaged a start a month in the 2023/24 season, 12 runs in total. Military Mission won two Group 2 races at Caulfield amongst his 3 wins, while Gold Bullion won 2 of his races at Caulfield and Flemington before being first past the post in the Group 3 Frank Packer Plate and being then relegated to second unfortunately. 

 

Stable Champion Jockey:

Tim Clark took out this title for the seventh straight year for our partnership with 38 wins, 1 more than the season prior. Second was Adam Hyeronimus with 34 wins. Adam being the last jockey to ride the most winners for our stable since Tim went on his winning streak in our first season together, 2016/17.

Stable Most Winning Metropolitan Track:

As you would expect our home track at Randwick accounted for most of our wins this season with 24 first prizes, Rosehill next with 19 wins and then Randwick Kensington with 18. Interestingly, the season prior it was Rosehill over Warwick Farm then Kembla Grange.

Stable Most Winning Provincial Track:

Newcastle, Hawkesbury and Wyong all shared 7 wins apiece at the top of the leaderboard, Wyong with our best strike rate of 29% winners to runners.

Stable Most Winning Distance:

1200m accounted for most of our wins with 33, 1100m next with 30 wins but a slightly better strike rate at 25%. Our runners also recorded victory at a better strike rate on Good tracks versus any other surface, while our first starters deserve to be followed closely, striking at a 28% win rate on debut.

We are proud of our team and our horses at Tulloch Lodge who were able to deliver our best season yet in 2023/24. 

Thanks to the magnificent support of our ownership group, we feel very well placed to do even better again this season and that is what we will be striving to do.

Thank you for your support and we look forward to rewarding you with winners & fun again this season.

Yours in racing,

Gai & Adrian