Bott Excited With Royal Patronage In Hong Kong

Sydney trainer and Waterhouse dream of first foreign win in Group 1 Champions Mile

- 

HONG KONG - Adrian Bott hopes to join co-trainer Gai Waterhouse in celebrating a monumental breakthrough ahead of having his first overseas runner when Royal Patronage contests the HK$24 million (S$4.06 million) Group 1 FWD Champions Mile (1,600m) at Sha Tin on April 27.

Since forming a training partnership in 2016-17, Waterhouse, 70, and Bott, 37, have since conquered some of Australia's most important races, including the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1,200m) with Farnan (2020) and Lady Of Camelot (2024), the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1,600m) with Global Glamour in 2016 and the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2,500m) with Pinot in 2017.

Among the pair's 27 Group 1 credits is also Royal Patronage's Canterbury Stakes (1,300m) triumph at Randwick on March 8.

Bott hopes the French-bred six-year-old can deliver a first Group 1 win on foreign soil for Waterhouse, who has previously campaigned abroad in New Zealand, Britain, the United Arab Emirates, France and Hong Kong, with success coming only in New Zealand.

Royal Patronage will be Waterhouse's first runner in Hong Kong since her champion warhorse Grand Armee ran 11th to Vengeance Of Rain in the 2005 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2,000m) in a star-studded field also including Super Kid, Bullish Luck, Elvstroem and Elegant Fashion.