Gai Waterhouse | Gai Waterhouse Gais Tip Sheet

SATURDAY 15th MAY - SCONE

Rail Position: +3m 1000m - 400m, True Remainder

MOSCATEL, Race 3, 1100m, 12.15pm, R King, 57.5kg 
Moscatel couldn’t have been more impressive when pummelling her opposition to win by 4.43 lengths on debut at Kensington. She’s come through the run in marvellous order and her subsequent work and attitude have been excellent, so she’s taken the necessary steps forward that we always like to see. This is the natural next step for her after breaking her maiden, and a Stakes race against her own sex is a fantastic opportunity for her to gain some all-important Black Type. She’s drawn an outside barrier in 19 so it’s not going to be handed to her on a plate, but she’s got the early speed to roll forward and get across into a more favourable inside position. Rachel gets a terrific tune out of her horses so we’re thrilled to have her aboard, and we're confident she can overcome the wide alley. She’s a very exciting filly and we think she will be hard to beat.

SOLAR ARMY, Race 5, 1700m, 1.25pm, R King, 58kg 
Solar Army’s Australian debut at Warwick Farm was too bad to be true. We took a breath and went back to the drawing board, tinkered with some of his gear and trialled him at Randwick earlier this month and it was as though he was a different horse. He’s obviously got his quirks, but we’ve been patient and taken the time to really get to know him so we’re hopeful it’ll pay dividends and that you’ll see a different horse here. Rachel got on with him brilliantly in the trial so we’re thrilled she retains the ride for race day, and he’s drawn well in barrier 1 so she should be able to roll forward and get him into a prominent position where he can travel comfortably in the run. Scone’s an expansive track so there shouldn’t be many hard luck stories, so we hope to see him put up a greatly improved performance.

THE INSTRUCTOR, Race 8, 1100m, 3.10pm, R Bayliss, 59kg 
The Instructor is thriving ahead of his first-up run. His two trials have been excellent and he had a solid hit out at Canterbury last time, so he’s as fit as we can get him. He was victorious in the Listed Luskin Star Stakes over 1300 metres at this meeting last year, so we know he goes well at this track which adds confidence. He’s at the outset of his preparation this time though, so we’re kicking him off over 1100 metres but he isn’t short of speed. In each of his last two first-up runs he won the Listed Hareeba Stakes and finished second in the Listed Canterbury Sprint, both over 1200 metres, so we know he goes well fresh which adds further confidence. He’s got 59kg on his back which doesn’t make life easy but he’s raced well with big weights previously, and he handles all track conditions so he really does tick a lot of boxes. He’s conceding race fitness to his key rivals so that’s probably his biggest vulnerability, but he’s as tough as teak and we see no reason why he won’t run an extremely competitive race to get his preparation off to an exciting start.

SURFIN' BIRD, Race 9, 1400m, 3.50pm, R King, 55kg 
Surfin’ Bird excelled herself with a fantastic effort to finish a close second when resuming in the Group 3 Hawkesbury Crown a fortnight ago. She’s come through the outing in brilliant shape and she’s taken plenty of improvement from it, so she’s got a lot of upside here. The step up to 1400 metres is a big tick and she’ll love the expansive track at Scone, so Rachel should be able to position her ideally from her lovely barrier in 2 to enjoy all the favours in the run. She's versatile with track conditions and she ticks a lot of boxes here, so with natural improvement forthcoming we expect her to be very hard to beat.

SATURDAY 15th MAY - KEMBLA

Rail Position: +7m 1100m-W/Post, +5m Remainder

STARDUST MEMORIES, Race 2, 1200m, 12.35pm, Z Wadick, 59kg 
Stardust Memories is thriving ahead of her first career start. We’ve been patient with her and given her the time she’s needed, but it looks to have paid dividends because she couldn’t have been more impressive in winning each of her two trials by big margins this time in. This race is a lovely starting point for her against two and three year old fillies, and she’s drawn a lovely barrier in 4 so she should be able to use her speed to flow forward and make her own luck from the front. Kembla’s an expansive track that’s ideal for her first career start, and we expect her to be very hard to beat.

SATURDAY 15th MAY - DOOMBEN

Rail Position: True

ALALCANCE, Race 7, 2000m, 3.22pm, M Harley, 58.5kg 
Alalcance is pleasing us ahead of this run. She wasn’t beaten far when resuming in the Listed Randwick City Stakes two back before finding them a bit too strong for her in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes when last seen in late March. She was then able to enjoy a short freshen up after that outing, and her recent trial blew the cobwebs away so it should have put her spot on for this first-up run. This is a nice starting point for her winter campaign and she’s got the gate speed to roll forward from barrier 11 and settle towards the head of the field. The track’s currently rated a Soft 7 and there’s some rain forecast which would only enhance her chance, as we know she loves to get her toe in. She’s a talented mare when things fall right for her, so if she enjoys an even run in transit we see no reason why she won’t be able to give this a good shake.

JUST FINE, Race 7, 2000m, 3.22pm, T Clark, 58kg 
Just Fine finished down the field at Randwick last time, but he was still only beaten by fewer than 3 lengths. He’s been a tricky horse to place with his rating but it’s gradually falling, and he’s now one point lower than he was when winning the Group 3 Bart Cummings at Flemington in 2024. He mixes his form but he showed us at Rosehill in March that he’s still very capable on his day, so there’s plenty of life in him yet. He’s going a month between runs here so we’ve been able to freshen him up as much as possible, and his recent trial at Canterbury has kept his fitness up to the mark. He’s really enjoyed life since heading north to Queensland, and sometimes a change of scene and routine does these older horses the world of good. He’s been going to the beach regularly which he loves, and these small details could be what he needs to get him back on song. Tim knows him well and he’ll let him land where he’s comfortable from barrier 8, but we expect him to race close to the speed. He has form on wet tracks so any further rain wouldn’t be a huge concern, and if he gets out of the right side of the bed he’s more than capable of going close here.