Craig Kerry
Still riding the high of his most satisfying victory, trainer Adrian Bott hopes to spark another top-class import to group 1 success on Saturday at Randwick.
This time, though, Bott says his wife, Jess, will take the credit if Royal Patronage can rediscover his best form for what could be the stallion’s farewell to racing.
Bott savoured the relief and thrill from Sir Delius’ win last Saturday in the $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m), where the $2.7 million import ended the unbeaten run of star mare Autumn Glow. Bott had said the Sir Delius should peak third-up at 2000m, and he did just that to complete his comeback from a spring campaign cut short when he failed Racing Victoria scans as part of protocols for Melbourne Cup entries.
Far from that spotlight, Bott and co-trainer Gai Waterhouse’s Tulloch Lodge team has been working on the return of Royal Patronage, which resumes in the group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) on Saturday.
A close second in the $4 million Doncaster Mile last year, Royal Patronage has raced only three times since, including a second-last finish at his next start in the group 1 Champions Mile at Sha Tin. It was the same result at his most recent run last October in the King Charles III Stakes at Randwick.
The stable delayed the seven-year-old’s autumn return after two trials in February, but a winning hit-out on March 30 after a break has given Bott the confidence to take on a crack field in the All Aged. Tim Clark rides the $23 chance from gate six.
“He probably wasn’t quite where we wanted him to be a month ago,” Bott said.
“He trialled on a track that he probably wasn’t totally comfortable on, but he also just wasn’t where we probably needed him to be just in terms of his form and fitness, so we just change things up a little bit with him and went back to the drawing board.
“We had time and restructured his program and found a new target for him, and he trialled much more encouragingly going into this. He seems a happier horse.
“He is an older horse now, he’s still an entire, so whether he wasn’t enjoying racing as much, which can happen to us. We know what this game’s like, it can be relentless at times and also be the same.
“We’ve tried as much as we can to really refresh his training, his mindset and his approach to it all.
“My wife’s done a lot of work with him, in terms of flat work and dressage work. She’s very good at that side of things, and also just working with them and getting them to do some of that work connection. Something difficult and challenging for them, getting them to work through that … so I can’t take credit if it works.”
A $646,000 buy, the French-bred son of Wootton Bassett came to Australia as a group 2 and 3 winner and immediately impressed, taking out the group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) in 2024. He fired again first-up next preparation, claiming his sole group 1 title in the 2025 Canterbury Stakes (1300m).
Bott hoped he could find his best again fresh in what could be a final run, after his sale to West Australian stud Darling View Thoroughbreds. If Royal Patronage does race on, Bott was eyeing a Queensland winter campaign.
“I’d say his biggest runs in Australia have been first up,” he said.
“Sometimes it is hard going against that depth of field first up, against some of those that are obviously deeper into the campaign, have had the runs and are fitter.
“You fall back and look at his record, that’s where he’s performed really well and right in that distance range.”
Tulloch Lodge will also chase group 1 success on Saturday with Miss Chanel ($5) in the Champagne Stakes (1600m). The $270,000 Tagaloa filly has finished top four without winning in all six runs this preparation, including a fast-finishing second last time out in the group 1 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) two weeks ago. She came from last that day after a poor start, but Bott hoped Regan Bayliss could get her forward from gate 12 on Saturday.
“She’s incredibly tough. This is her seventh run going into it, which is probably a little bit unorthodox and I can’t say it’s by design,” he said.
“She’s needed to impress each run and she’s been remarkably consistent. At each time, I thought this possibly might be our last run for the preparation, then she seems to have put in another improvement again and done well off the back of it.
“I am mindful, at some point, she is going to have that run that probably says she has come to the end of the campaign, which isn’t going to be a surprise when it does. But off the back of what we’ve seen, she hasn’t given us any indication in her work, her weight’s great, appetite’s good. She seems nice and bright and the mile should really suit.”
