Gai Waterhouse might be on a mid-year break but she still had her trusty lieutenants at Randwick to do all the talking – and they will tell you The Offer is an even better horse than the one which took Sydney racing by storm in the autumn.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The early Melbourne Cup favourite was the star attraction on Friday at the first serious set of trials before spring. Horses from Waterhouse's Tulloch Lodge won 10 of the 20 heats.
And although The Offer was not one of those winners, the five-year-old triggered glowing reports from the stable after weaving between horses to finish second to stablemate Danas Best in a 1200-metre heat.
"He was really good," said The Offer's jockey, Tommy Berry, who completed his first official commitments in Australia after a short riding contract in Hong Kong.
"He came through them really strongly when I asked him to. At the moment he's got a bit of a spring in his step, which is very encouraging, and the most impressive thing is he's come back bigger and stronger."
Berry's emotion-charged Sydney Cup win on the European import was one of the highlights of the autumn.
However, Waterhouse's foreman, Mark Newnham, said The Offer had given every indication he would be a more formidable horse in Melbourne.
"He did everything we expected him to and he just built up all the way to the line," Newnham said. "For his first real hit-out he was terrific.
"He's come back bigger and heavier again, but he's always been a typical European staying-type horse. He'll trial again in two weeks here and his whole campaign will be down in Melbourne."
Waterhouse has already indicated the Caulfield-Melbourne cups double is on the agenda for The Offer, who is $15 with Ladbrokes and at the head of betting for Australia's great race.
A holidaying Waterhouse would have also been pleased with the trial of her other group 1 winner. Queen of the Turf victor Diamond Drille was asked for a little more effort than her stablemate when finishing third to Splash Out, but the trial still left Berry in high spirits.
"Before her last preparation she had a long time-off and then a long prep, so that hit-out has done her the world of good," Berry said. "She sprinted really well when I asked her to go and she's only going to improve from that."
Waterhouse's No.1 rider partnered Blue Diamond runner Nayeli to an eye-catching trial win ahead of Skyline Stakes winner Valentia. Sweet Idea, the Light Fingers and Magic Millions Guineas heroine, also kicked off her campaign with a heat win.
The Rosebud looms as Nayeli's campaign opener, while Golden Slipper runner Valentia will have even loftier targets in the coming months.
"With a colt like him we're looking at those group 1 races and we'll let Gai tell us where we're going, but of course the Golden Rose and the Caulfield Guineas look like the right races," Coolmore's Michael Kirwan said.
The Galaxy winner Tiger Tees had a quiet trial in his first appearance this campaign as Jason Collett did not test him on the firm ground. Doncaster placegetter Weary closed late in the same heat despite finishing last behind Reflectance.
Said Berry, Weary's rider, of the gelding: "The best part of it was after the line, he just whipped around them and kept going. He's come back really strong."
