Bott Hungry for International Spoils After Climbing to Racing’s Richest Peak

The State of Play of Waterhouse-Bott Stable

Bott said that the team was excited for the upcoming spring carnival to begin.

“Right now, we are getting ready for the spring carnival to begin, September 1 is when it really starts to get going,” he said. 

“Over the last few weeks and in the coming weeks, the horses that will be representing us during the spring will be stepping out in the trial format.

“It will be interesting to see how those two-year old’s have progressed into their three-year-old seasons.

“Also, those three-year old’s who have progressed into open company and see how they take on the weight for age contests this time around.

“We also have a few seasoned stayers returning, so it will be great to see if they still have a lot to offer us as they have in the past.

“We have a nice team building and it will be quite an exciting couple of months.” 

Hawaii Five Oh on Track to Impress 

The Spring Racing Carnival offers up great opportunities for prize money and to put wins on the board for the Waterhouse-Bott team and all connections. 

The co-trainer said that the team was focused on The Everest being at the top of the list of races they would love to take out.

“Obviously the prize money on offer in The Everest cannot be ignored,” he said.

“It’s captured the imagination of Australia and the world very quickly.

“We love being a part of it and it means a lot, but to win it would prove very memorable.

“Hopefully we have some great chances coming through to represent us over the carnival and especially over the next few weeks so we can try to get some attention and a slot in the world’s richest turf race.

“In terms of our golden objectives for the carnival, I don’t set many goals in terms of how many winners or Group 1 winners etc.

“But something I would really like to build on is the success of the stable each year and improve on that each year.

“We are heading into our seventh season, and we are coming off the back of our most successful season to date.

“So that will be the challenge this season, to go better than last season.”

In an industry that is assessed on prize money won, the number of black-type races won and the elite equine athletes in the yard – her father T.J Smith and now Gai Waterhouse have trained some names that will always be remembered. 

Names include Gunsynd, Kingston Town, Desert War, More Joyous, Pierro, Fiorente and now Hawaii Five Oh. 

He joined the Waterhouse-Bott stable in February this year and has improved well since adding two victories and two placings from four starts with the dynamic training duo.

The 4YO son of I Am Invincible has won three from eight starts that include the Gr.3 Hawkesbury Guineas and Gr.3 Fred Best Classic at Eagle Farm. 

Bott spoke on the personality of the horse that will be targeted greatly during the upcoming season. 

“He is very laidback for quite a big, masculine and imposing kind of horse,” he said.

“He is one of the biggest horses in the yard, well-built and very masculine stallion kind of build.

“In terms of personality, he doesn’t show much arrogance and has a great constitution to go with his build.

“He goes around his work, and he isn’t one to overdo it and go out and try and get your attention so to speak.

“Very understated but he really shouldn’t be because he has the whole package.”

After breeding him, Magic Millions supremo Gerry Harvey intended to sell Hawaii Five Oh and viewed him as worthy of a multimillion-dollar price tag.

Business and racing identity John Singleton sent great mate Harvey A$1m for a share in the colt before he went through the ring. 

“That’s the kind of relationship Gerry and Singo have had for a very long time,” Bott said.

“They have a great friendship but are both very competitive with each other.

“We were very fortunate, and Gai has had a long working relationship with Singo.

“She has trained many of his great wins in racing and there was an opportunity there.

“John wanted Gai to train the majority of his horses at this stage of his involvement in racing.”

Hawaii Five Oh last stepped out on June 10 during the Queensland Racing Carnival and ran third in the Gr.1  Stradbroke Handicap, behind Rothfire and the winner Think About It.

He has been a consistent performer at the 1400m trip as the team looks to drop him back to the shorter 1200m for the Everest.

“I do think he will be able to perform at that distance and that will be the aim of this prep to kick him off at the sharper sprint distances,” Bott said.

“The Everest itself even though it is 1200m, it is a high-pressure 1200m race.

“I guess when you’re racing for $20 million it pours on greater pressure to race harder in that particular race.

“A horse that can get a little better over 1400m but has the scope and stamina to really put in over the 1200m, has been the profile of those who have been good in that race.

“I am quite confident he has that profile to take on The Everest, in that regard.”

Hawaii Five Oh will step out in two public trials before he takes on the traditional lead-up to The Everest, in races that include The Shorts and The Premier Stakes. 

“They are the two main races we will focus on in the lead-up,” the co-trainer said.

“Hopefully he can show how sharp he can be and give everybody the chance to have a look at him and hopefully he can qualify himself for that race.

“In terms of slot holders, there is nothing to confirm just yet, but I am sure he is on a short list with quite a few people.

“There are only a number of slot holders who have secured horses for the year and so there are still a lot of spots still available.

“I think that is how most slot holders feel, they would prefer to be with a horse that is in form heading into The Everest rather than have one picked a long way out.

“For a horse like him who is lightly raced and has decent form with high-profile owners I am sure Singo and Gerry can pull the right strings and strike the right deal to get him a great slot holder over the line.” 

Bott admitted he isn’t one to get ahead of himself and imagine what it would be like to win and that managing expectations in the industry is key.

However, he is the first to say what a Group 1 win would mean to Hawaii Five Oh.

“A Group One win on his CV with his breeding would mean a great deal,”

“If he was to achieve that he would be the most sought-after stallion prospect going to stud in Australia.

“So, there is a lot at stake in that regard as it is important to have that in the forefront of your mind in terms of his stud price and potential down the line.”

Bott also said that the prospect of him racing globally was not off the table either.

“If he was able to conquer Australia then most definitely but he still has a lot to prove and do here before he goes overseas.

“We are greatly respective of the bloodstock racing internationally and you have to have the right horse to match it with those.”

A Second Contender for The World’s Richest Turf Race 

Bott spoke about the other chance from their yard to take on black-type races including The Everest, Alcohol Free.

Imported from the UK by Yulong Investments, the No Nay Never x Plying mare has four Group One victories to her name including this year’s July Cup at Newmarket, Sussex Stakes and Coronation Stakes at Ascot in 2021 and Cheveley Park Stakes in 2020. 

She has banked over $2.7 million in prize money for connections and the 6YO joined the Waterhouse-Bott stable in July last year.

Off the back of a 34-week spell, she returned to the track in the first and only start for the stable so far, finishing tenth in the Gr.1 Queen of the Turf Stakes at Randwick in April.

“We have only seen her in Australia once in that start and she was fresh out of quarantine, so she probably didn’t have the best lead-up or set-up that time around,” Bott said. 

She has now been spelled for 19 weeks and Bott said that could be the best thing for her.

“That has given her time to acclimatise to Australia and she has really come back refreshed and she has some speed and sprint in her legs,” he said.

“She is one we would love to aim for The Everest if she returns the quality she has proven to be.

“She is a quality mare and has been very sharp and won some of the best sprint races in Europe.”

Alligator Blood to Return with Bite Hoping to Land Elusive Title For Gai

Alligator Blood has been an elite performer for the stable and has won five Group Ones.

“He is a horse that has been very dear to us and really performed for us in the past and this year we have him on track for the Cox Plate,” he said.

“That is a race that in all her years of training, Gai has never won amazingly.

“That is a great weight for age race in Australia and I would love to be able to say that this partnership delivered that for Gai.

“He could definitely be the horse to do that for us this year.”

Future Hunt for International Spoils

With a lot of experience and travel under his belt in racing when asked if he could train any winner of any race, what would that be, Bott laughed a little before his response.

“I’ve seen races all over the world and each country has their own individual and unique points to them,” he said.

“When I get asked this question, I always get a little stumped because I am always just worried and focused about winning races here in Australia.

“I haven’t narrowed it down to a particular race yet but something I haven’t been able to do yet but want to do through my career is campaign a horse internationally and successfully.

“Whether that be taking a horse to Hong Kong for the international carnival later this year, we would love to do that this year.

“Or World Cup in Dubai, Royal Ascot, Breeders Cup carnival in America – there are so many great carnivals around the world.

“To be able to have a horse and tick off one of those races it would definitely be something to be proud of and something I cherish greatly.

“I need to find that one horse first.” 

By Rowan Anderson