Racing: NZ buys put Gai on right track

Gai Waterhouse. Photo / Getty Images

MELBOURNE - Gai Waterhouse admits to losing direction last season but she has regrouped and has her sights on the main prize with three runners in next week's Melbourne Cup.

Waterhouse makes no secret of her disappointment at finishing third in the 2009-10 Sydney trainers' premiership which she has won seven times and been runner-up on seven other occasions.

Over the past few seasons, her biggest successes have been with sprinters and milers and to put that right she sent husband Robbie to New Zealand to find genuine stayers.

That method worked in the past when Robbie selected a succession of tried stayers including Electronic, Hula Flight and In Joyment, winners of the Metropolitan Handicap (2400m) in the 1990s.

The result this time around was the addition of Descarado and Herculian Prince to Tulloch Lodge.

After running second to Shoot Out in the AJC Australian Derby in the autumn, Descarado lifted to another level to win the Caulfield Cup a couple of weeks after Herculian Prince won the Metropolitan.

"Sometimes you lose direction which I did last year," Waterhouse said.

"I had a break on an overseas holiday and refocused myself and where I wanted to go. I sent my husband to find me a Cup horse.

"It's a race everyone wants to win and I've had quite a few attempts and finished second a couple of times.

"Descarado and Herculian Prince have proved they are stayers and Descarado has won on ground from fast to heavy.

"There will be no problem with the 3200m or with [Oaks winner] Once Were Wild who also runs in the Cup."

Race jockey Nash Rawiller put Descarado through his paces at Flemington yesterday, while Once Were Wild retired to the solarium after her workout.

The mare has thrived on the regime of spending time under heated ceiling lights and will tune up for Tuesday's Melbourne Cup in Saturday's Lexus Stakes (2500m) with Michael Walker aboard.

Descarado goes up against Bart Cummings' superstar So You Think in the Mackinnon, which Waterhouse conceded was a tough task.

"He is an outstanding horse, he toyed with the best weight-for-age field in the Cox Plate," she said.

Waterhouse is not dismissing So You Think as a rival over the 3200m in the Melbourne Cup, despite the fact the Cox Plate distance of 2040m is the longest he has attempted.

"He's got the best bloke in Australia to train a horse for two miles," she said.

"I might hand my three over for the last few days before the Cup."

Waterhouse also said that Zutara was back on track for Saturday's group two Wakeful Stakes at Flemington after missing a place at Caulfield at her first appearance in Melbourne.

The Encosta De Lago filly dead-heated for fourth with Notjustaprettyface in the Sportingbet Stakes (2000m) won by Dizlago on Caulfield Cup Day.

But she pleased Waterhouse with her workout on the course proper at Flemington yesterday with Descarado.

"I'm over the moon with her, I'm really delighted with her," said Waterhouse, who worked her in blinkers and intends to put them on her on Saturday.

"I jumped her and she wasn't very good at that. I'm trying to get her to focus and switch on, she's going well."

Waterhouse said Zutara's Caulfield effort when beaten 7 lengths should be forgotten.

"I don't think she coped at all. I don't think she coped with the heavy track and I don't think she coped with Caulfield - the way it can go up and then down," she said.

Zutara is at $21 for the VRC Oaks (2500m) on November 4 for which Dizlago is $5 favourite.

- AAP