English import Gatewood has adapted well at premier Sydney trainer Chris Waller’s Rosehill stable.
Formerly trained by John Gosden in England, the owner of the five-year-old OTI Racing has decided to keep the stallion racing in Australia.
Gatewood had followed the footsteps of the 2010 and 2011 Melbourne Cup winners Americain and Dunaden by winning the Geelong Cup last Spring. However he was only given a 1kg penalty for the win and was still balloted outside the Melbourne Cup field.
OTI Racing took the gamble in running him in the Lexus Stakes on the Saturday before the Melbourne Cup as the winner of the race carries ballot exemption for the Cup. Gatewood could only finished 6th behind another import galloper Kelinni. Ironically Kelinni was trained by none other than Chris Waller.
Whether Gatewood will run in another Melbourne Cup is still undecided as Waller said he was keen to try him over WFA races from 1600 to 2000m.
Gatewood’s likely starting point in the Autumn is the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) on February 23, a fortnight before the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m). Waller has indicated that it is more likely Gatewood will then starts in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) rather than the Ranvet Stakes (2000m).
By Owens Wong
