Seasoned Sweet Redemption off to Rosehill
After racing in every state except Western Australia this year, four-year-old Sweet Redemption knows more about interstate travel than some flight attendants.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained mare has raced across five states on 10 tracks in the past 12 months and is set to make Rosehill the 11th on Saturday in the Group Three Festival Stakes (1500m).
After winning at Ipswich in January, she finished second in the Tasmanian Oaks in Launceston, placed in a Group Three race at Moonee Valley before winding up her preparation in Adelaide.
She was back in Melbourne to finish second in the Group Three Summoned Stakes at Sandown on November 12 and returned to her home state to be runner-up in the Goulburn Cup on November 20.
“She’s very well travelled and she just thrives wherever we take her,” Bott said.
“We can put her anywhere and she’s tough.”
Sweet Redemption won on her home track at Randwick over 1600m on Melbourne Cup day and the Group Two Villiers Stakes at the same track and distance on December 17 remains a live option.
Bott said the stable liked to season horses by giving them travelling experience early in their careers to allow them to mentally mature.
He said Sweet Redemption had handled the travel brilliantly on her way to winning four times and missing the placings in five of her 17 starts.
“She’s had a couple of tough runs this time in but she still seems to be on fresh legs and a very happy horse at the moment,” Bott said.
With The Bull’s part-owner David Warner helping the Australian cricket team to turn around its form by winning the third Test against South Africa in Adelaide, Bott is hoping the horse can do the same in the Listed ATC Cup (2000m).
Test-capped brothers Shaun and Mitch Marsh also have an interest in The Bull who ran fourth in a benchmark handicap over 2000m at Rosehill on November 19.
“It was still a very honest effort last start,” Bott said.
“There’s no doubt in another preparation we’re still going to see a lot more from this horse so hopefully we can see a bit of that on Saturday.”
Three-year-old colt Montreal, owned by Bott’s father Tony, is down to run against his own age group in a benchmark handicap.
“He’s a very progressive type and one that we feel in time can make the top grade,” Bott said.