Racing: Watershed century looms for Waterhouse

Gai Waterhouse. Photo / Kenny Rodger.

Gai Waterhouse heads to Randwick today on the verge of yet another history-making achievement.

The world's most successful woman horse trainer needs just one group one win to reach the century milestone.

With runners in three of the four group one races to be run on home soil, it seems a formality.

It would also be fitting that she reached the 100 mark on the 18th anniversary of her first group one success with Te Akau Nick in the Metropolitan.

She would almost certainly have reached 100 sooner had she not had to fight a protracted battle to gain a licence.

The Australian Jockey Club committee which was in charge at the time denied her the right to train because she was married to warned-off bookmaker Robbie Waterhouse.

It took 2 years but, eventually, the decision was reversed by the courts. A legacy from that time was the introduction in 1994 of the Waterhouse Amendment to the Sex Discrimination Act outlawing discrimination against a person because of the identity of his or her spouse.

When she was a child, Randwick Racecourse was Waterhouse's playground and she spent her afternoons in the presence of her father, the late trainer T.J. Smith.

After pursuing an acting career, Waterhouse returned to Randwick after the birth of her children to work alongside her father and her interest in horses was rekindled.

T.J. Smith holds the record with 282 group one wins with Bart Cummings now on 261 and Lee Freedman at 125.

It's not out of the question Waterhouse could end the day on 102. Races to look out for are:

Flight stakes (1600m for 3-year-old fillies): The Waterhouse-trained More Strawberries is vying for favouritism with Parables from Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation for trainer Peter Snowden.

It will be a clash to remember.

Epsom Handicap (1600m): Waterhouse is seeking a seventh win in the race named after the famous racecourse in England.

If either Once Were Wild or Cannonball can claim victory, Waterhouse will equal her father with the most winners of the race.

The mile at Randwick is regarded as the toughest in the country and Waterhouse believes that gives Once Were Wild an advantage.

Metropolitan Handicap (2400m): A stepping stone to the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, the Metropolitan is a chance for the Waterhouse-trained Herculian Prince to make up for the disappointment of a week earlier when he choked down in his lead-up run.

Spring Champion Stakes (2000m for 3-year-olds): The only group one race without a Waterhouse runner, the Spring Champion is dominated by Snowden and his three contenders for Darley, Retrieve, Giresun and Erewhon.

Often a guide to the Victoria Derby, the Spring Champion was won last year by Monaco Consul who completed the double. His trainer Mike Moroney has Missing In Action engaged this year.

- AAP