Bear essential to Waterhouse and Bott's black type bid at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday

News.com.au13-06-2025

Bear On The Loose faces a stamina test and Sir Lucan is trying to snap a year-long losing streak.
But trainer Adrian Bott has a quiet confidence in both imported geldings going into the Listed $200,000 Winter Cup (2400m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
With co-trainer Gai Waterhouse in England trying to source their stable's next overseas equine recruits, Bott has kept famous Tulloch Lodge's winning momentum going in recent weeks.
In fact, if Bear On The Loose or Sir Lucan can win the Winter Cup or the Waterhouse-Bott team has success at Eagle Farm, it will move the training partnership closer to a career-best season at Group and Listed level.
There's less than two months of the 2024-25 season remaining but Waterhouse and Bott have already trained the winners of 33 stakes races and need just two more black type wins to equal their previous best return at feature race level they set last season.
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TAB Fixed Odds price assessors have Bear On The Loose early Winter Cup favourite at $3.60 with stablemate and defending champ Sir Lucan at $23.
Bott also conceded Bear On The Loose was the stable's number one seed even though the five-year-old has never been out to 2400m in his 13 career starts.
Bear On The Loose goes to the Winter Cup after three lead-up runs including a close second to Glory Daze over 2000m at Randwick last start.
'We feel he's racing well and the form out of his Randwick run is good,'' Bott said.
'He stuck on nicely that day on a very heavy track and the drier conditions (Rosehill is rated a soft 5) are going to be to his advantage.''
Bott said he expected Bear On The Loose to take up the frontrunning role.
'I think he is most likely to lead and hopefully he can roll along at his own tempo,'' Bott said. 'I'm confident he can run 2400m.''
WATCH OUT! There's a BEAR ON THE LOOSE! ðŸ�»
The imported galloper makes an immediate impact in Australia, winning the 10th at Rosehill for @MyRacehorse & @GaiWaterhouse1 with @nashhot in the saddle.
Goes $26 into $21 for the Caulfield Cup. pic.twitter.com/gN3dSIe0lK
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 29, 2024
•
Sir Lucan has been winless since taking out the Winter Cup 12 months ago.
But the seven-year-old returns to defend his 'title' and if successful will join Royal Bark (1962-63) as the only horses to win successive Winter Cups.
The only other multiple Winter Cup winner was the remarkable Destiny's Kiss – but his wins were six years apart in 2013 and 2019. The former Joe Pride-trained stayer also ran second (2018) and third (2017) in the feature Rosehill staying race.
Sir Lucan has only had the one start this campaign when he failed to beat a rival to the line in the Lord Mayor's Cup won by Touristic two weeks ago.
Bott was cautiously optimistic about Sir Lucan's chances of staging the ultimate form reversal and going back-to-back in the Winter Cup.
'Sir Lucan got further back than expected first-up, he should improve again but is still working his way back to his peak,'' Bott said.
'He's worked well since and he's certainly capable of running well but Bear On The Loose is the stable's best chance.''
Sir Lucan is too good for them in the Listed Winter Cup at Rosehill! ðŸ�† @aus_turf_club @GaiWaterhouse1 pic.twitter.com/VPJUXOcw80
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 15, 2024
Bott also has another import, Assailant, set to race competitively in the TAB Handicap (2000m).
Assailant, by English super sire Dubawi, shaped promisingly at his Australian debut when third to Hell To Pay at Canterbury.
'It was a nice run from Assailant a couple of weeks ago and he's in great shape,'' Bott enthused.
'He should improve on a bigger track and more suitable distance. He's a young horse with a future.''
No trouble here! Hell To Pay digs deep to win at Canterbury! ðŸ'° @AnnaRoper_ | @JohnOSheaRacing | @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/5smT3Hw9Wk
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 28, 2025
•
Bott, who also has topweight Ganbare resuming in the Ranvet Handicap (1500m), said Waterhouse will attend England's famous Goffs Sale next Monday on the eve of the Royal Ascot carnival.
'We are going through the catalogue for the Goffs Sale next week,'' Bott said.
'Gai will be there and we have had some luck at that sale. Pornichet came from that sale, as did New Endeavour.''
Pornichet won the Group 1 Doomben Cup a decade ago and New Endeavour, a last start winner of the Lord Mayor's Cup, is one of the main chances in the Group 2 $1.2 million Q22 (2200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
'New Endeavour won really well last start and has trained on nicely,'' Bott said.
'He is going to this distance for the first time but that win will give him confidence.''
The Waterhouse-Bott stable is also represented in both Group 1 races with The Instructor lining up in the $3 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) and Farnicle is in the $1 million JJ Atkins (1600m).
The Instructor has won three of his four starts this campaign including the Listed Luskin Star Stakes at Scone a month ago.
Bott said it has been a deliberate tactic to keep The Instructor on the fresh side for the Stradbroke.
'The Instructor is in good form, he's deep into his campaign but he's well in himself,'' Bott said.
'The plan was if he ran well at Scone then the option was to go to the Stradbroke and we have given him a trial between runs.
'He gets in with a lightweight (52kg) so there's plenty to like about him. Jett Stanley has won on the horse, he knows him well, and he can ride the weight.''
• Jett Hatton's Stradbroke Handicap tips, runner-by-runner form analysis
Bott also made a strong case for Farnicle after the two-year-old's good second to Cool Archie in the BRC Sires Produce Stakes.
'Farnicle keeps improving every time he steps out,'' Bott said.
'He is out of a good New Zealand mare (Jennifer Ecles who won the 2020 NZ Oaks) so there is plenty to suggest he will stay the trip. I think he will be suited by the mile.''
The Waterhouse and Bott-trained Campaldino is aiming for a fourth consecutive win in the Group 2 $400,000 Brisbane Cup (3200m).
'Campaldino has had a good grounding for 3200m,'' Bott said. 'The way he has been relaxing and racing gives you the confidence he will see it out.''

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Gorden Tallis slams Broncos' ‘disrespectful' Selwyn Cobbo move

News.com.au

2 hours ago

News.com.au

Gorden Tallis slams Broncos' ‘disrespectful' Selwyn Cobbo move

Gorden Tallis has criticised the Broncos for prioritising re-signing two veteran halfbacks over Selwyn Cobbo, who is potentially the future of the club. Adam Reynolds and Ben Hunt will both play for the Broncos in 2026 in what looms as their final seasons in first grade, but at 23, Cobbo looks like being forced out of a club he doesn't want to leave. Tallis believes the Broncos have been disrespectful to Cobbo by not leaving enough funds in their salary cap to re-sign him. 'The Selwyn Cobbo one is a bit funny to me because I think he is the future of the club,' Tallis said on NRL 360. 'They have re-signed Kotoni Staggs. They have got two 35-year-old No.7's that they re-signed as a priority and they re-signed another hooker when they have got five. 'Then they have got this young talent and they leave $300,000, which I think is a little bit disrespectful for a State of Origin player and I don't think he has lost that much mojo. 'In my opinion when Reece Walsh was out and he went back to fullback, he kept them in a The Daily Telegraph's Phil Rothfield believes Reynolds may have forced Cobbo out of the club. 'The interesting thing is Adam Reynolds said he would not sign a new deal until the other boys had because he didn't want to force anyone out, well he has,' Rothfield said. 'I'm not blaming him, but it was a difficult decision.' Rothfield revealed the Dragons were close to making a play for Cobbo and his asking price shows how far the Broncos are from keeping him. 'Selwyn Cobbo was in Sydney two weeks ago and he visited St George Illawarra and he spoke to coach Shane Flanagan,' Rothfield said. 'They were asking for about $650,000 to $700,000 and St George were quite keen to do a deal for a little bit less than that if they could get him this year because they have had injuries in the outside backs. 'I don't think it is going to happen, but what it does show is how far the Broncos are off the pace with what the kid and the manager are looking for. They are not even halfway there.' Braith Anasta added: 'Let's be honest they think they are still a chance of keeping him, but really they are not.' The Daily Telegraph's Brent Read believes the Broncos could find more room to up their offer to Cobbo, but the problem is his best form has been in a position they don't need him to play. 'Not unless they find another $200,000 or $300,000 and clubs can do that sometimes when they need to,' Read said. 'They can move a couple of blokes and juggle some funds around, but at the moment, I know he played well at fullback for a couple of games, but they don't need a fullback. 'They need him to play well when he is on the wing and he hasn't been playing well, so that's why he is in reserve grade and the kid who has come in Josiah Karapani is doing really well.' 'Maybe he is busted,' Tallis interjected. Rothfield believes Hunt is an interesting signing because he will be trying to break into the hooker rotation when he returns from injury. 'You talk about the old halves they signed and it is an interesting one with Ben Hunt because when he comes back from injury I don't think he is going to play five-eighth,' Rothfield said. 'Ezra Mam is comfortable there and he is obviously the future, so signing Hunt for those two years, not necessarily the Reynolds extension, might be what costs Selwyn Cobbo a spot at that club long-term.' However, Read believes the Broncos are eyeing Hunt as their hooker until Blake Mozer develops into his replacement in 2027. 'I think they are looking at their spine next year with Ben Hunt at hooker and he is a pretty good hooker Ben Hunt,' Read said. 'He is probably the best hooker they have got on their roster. Obviously Cory Paix is not killing it because they are not re-signing him. 'They have obviously made a decision that Ben Hunt will be their hooker and they have got young Blake Mozer on a long-term deal.' Tallis believes the Broncos may have been better off blooding young gun Coby Black at halfback, who led the Maroons to a win in the under 19s Origin last Thursday. 'It's nothing against the two 35-year-old halfbacks, but the future of the club are not two 35-year-old halfbacks,' Tallis said. 'Queensland won the State of Origin with a young 19-year-old halfback that could sit there and get some experience.' 'He will learn off those guys and at some point he will get an opportunity,' Read interjected. 'Yeah, but it is better playing,' Tallis countered. 'It is better getting a taste and you look at the Roosters with their young halves, there is no better way to learn than at the coalface.'