Tulloch Lodge juveniles aiming for spring success

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are preparing to field six runners at Rosehill, with five contesting stakes races, including a strong quartet of three-year-olds looking to make their mark this spring.

The Golden Rose aspirations of Plagiarism and Revengeance will be put to the test in the Run To The Rose (1200m). Concurrently, I'm Ya Huckleberry has the chance to enhance his Golden Rose credentials with a commanding display in the Ming Dynasty Quality Handicap (1400m).

Stablemate Savagram is also slated for the Ming Dynasty. As a half-brother to the Derby winner Major Beel, he remains on a potential trajectory towards the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m).

I'm Ya Huckleberry enters the three-year-old feature race following a setback due to a fetlock injury sustained after his debut second in the Breeders' Plate (1000m) last spring. He secured his maiden win at Wyong last month, and Bott is eager for him to experience the larger circuit at Rosehill.

"He's a big striding horse, so the bigger track will be more suitable for him, and getting out to 1400 metres," Bott commented. "The thought process is he's got that natural speed and being able to sustain that over 1400 metres, 1600 metres as opposed to 1200 is going to be what hopefully separates him when he can get to a good level."

The increase in distance is also anticipated to favour Savagram, who finished fourth last start behind Plagiarism in the Up And Coming Stakes (1300m). Bott attributed that performance to the colt's inexperience.

Plagiarism will be aiming for a repeat of his previous success in the Run To The Rose (1200m), where he is expected to have a fitness advantage over several of the leading contenders. "He's gone to the Run To The Rose for that reason. He's pretty conditioned for a tougher race like that, particularly with where he's at in this 'prep' having had two runs over 1300 metres and dropping back to 1200," Bott stated. "Traditionally, it's the main lead-up to the Golden Rose and he certainly put himself in contention at his last start. We wanted to give him that chance."

Bott also advised observers to be forgiving of Revengeance, who faded in the latter stages when returning from a prolonged absence in the San Domenico Stakes (1200m). While he anticipates the colt will show further improvement after Saturday, the possibility of him reaching the Group 1 feature in two weeks remains. "I still don't think it's necessarily the right race (on Saturday) yet, but it's the right stepping stone to get back," Bott conveyed. "If we need to readjust after this we can, but at this stage he's on a path to the Golden Rose."

Stardom completes Tulloch Lodge's black-type contenders in Sydney as she contests the Sheraco Stakes (1200m), seeking to prove her close second in the Toy Show Quality (1100m) was not a mere anomaly. Although she started at significant odds that day, Bott indicated her performance was well within the stable's expectations, and she has continued to flourish. "She used to be in a bit of a rush, but she is harnessing things much better," he commented. "She's got to improve again off that personal best, but I'm really happy with her. She's going great."

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