By Bren O'Brien
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott's emerging stayer Wolfe (Jpn) (Novellist {Ire}) has won his way into Saturday's $5 million G1 Caulfield Cup with success in Wednesday's G3 Ladbrokes Coongy Cup at Caulfield.
The Coongy Cup has been moved back to the midweek meeting to give stayers a last chance to qualify for the Caulfield Cup and Wolfe took his chance. Jockey Linda Meech took a sit on the 5-year-old and produced him on the turn before he held off Top Of The Range (NZ) (Savabeel) by 0.2l with Kiwia (Reset) another 1.5l back in third.
Waterhouse said post-race that she was thrilled to qualify Wolfe for the Caulfield Cup and felt he would make his presence felt on the three-day back-up into Saturday.
"It was the old 'win and you're in' and what a lovely idea to have a race like this to get you into the Caulfield Cup. He's very lightly weighted and now we have to find a jockey," she said.
"He was bred in Japan, and if you had to stand into that snow up to your eyeballs, you’d be tough as well. All I can tell you is that he's a very good horse and he'll make a very good stayer."
"He was bred in Japan, and if you had to stand into that snow up to your eyeballs, you’d be tough as well." - Gai Waterhouse
"It's a very satisfying result."
Wolfe was the most expensive of the five foals and a yearling which Waterhouse purchased from the 2015 JRHA Select Sale, where she spent 132 million yen (AU$1.8 million), including 33 million yen (AU$400,000) on the son of Novellist.
He and a few of the other foals went from Japan to France, spending time at the stables of Criquette Head-Maarek and Francis Graffard before coming out to Australia.
Wolfe (Jpn) was purchased from the 2015 JRHA Select Sale
Out of Group 1 winner Peace Of World (Jpn) (Sunday Silence {USA}), Wolfe has made very strong progress since debuting at Kembla Grange less than 12 months ago, winning five of his first six starts, before contesting four Group 3 staying events at his past four runs.
Coming back to the 2000 metres off his third in The Bart Cummings over 2500 metres last time, he showed his versatility and his staying prowess.
"He was terrific. Thanks to Gai for putting me on. It's nice to repay the faith, I don’t think I have ever wanted a horse to win more than that, so it was great," Meech said. "He had that typical Gai Waterhouse polish on him, he didn’t know when to stop."
"He had that typical Gai Waterhouse polish on him, he didn’t know when to stop." - Linda Meech
While Meech said she won't be able to ride Wolfe at the feather weight of 50kg in the Caulfield Cup, with Beau Mertens to take the ride, she feels he was every chance to being competitive.
"I couldn't see why not. With the blinkers on he's much better. He's much sharper and on his game," she said.
The last time the Coongy was held on a Wednesday as a ballot-free qualifier for the Caulfield Cup was in 1996 when it was won by Circles Of Gold (Marscay).
That mare would then go on to run second to Arctic Scent (Blazing Sword) in the feature handicap three days' later. She later went on to become an influential broodmare as the dam of Group 1 winners Elvstroem (Danehill {USA}) and Haradasun (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}) and the granddam of the likes of Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Saturday's G1 Caulfield S. winner Cape Of Good Hope (Galileo {Ire}).
Waterhouse won the Caulfield Cup in 2010 with Descarado (High Chaparral {Ire}) but has not had a runner in the race since The Offer (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) ran 11th in 2014. Her father Tommy Smith won the race on four occasions.
Wolfe drew barrier 5 in the race, while pre-post favourtie Finche (GB) (Frankel {GB}) drew poorly in barrier 19, with his Chris Waller stablemate Brimham Rocks (GB) (Fastnet Rock) to come from barrier 20.
Caulfield Cup field and barrier draw:
(No. horse, trainer, jockey, weight, barrier)
1. Hartnell (GB) (James Cummings, Brad Rawiller) - 58kg, barrier 17
2. Mirage Dancer (GB) (Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, Ben Melham) - 56kg, barrier 13
3. Mer De Glace (Jpn) (Hisashi Shimizu, Damian Lane) - 55.5kg, barrier 21
4. Mustajeer (GB) (Kris Lees, Damien Oliver) - 55.5kg, barrier 16
5. Rostropovich (Ire) (David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, Dwayne Dunn) - 55.5kg, barrier 18
6. Finche (GB) (Chris Waller, Michael Walker) - 54.5kg, barrier 19
7. Gold Mount (GB) (Ian Williams, Mark du Plessis) - 54.5kg, barrier 4
8. Red Verdon (USA) (Ed Dunlop, Pat Cosgrave) - 54.5kg, barrier 15
9. Angel Of Truth (Gwenda Markwell, Dean Yendall) - 54kg, barrier 14
10. Big Duke (Ire) (Kris Lees, Brett Prebble) - 54kg, barrier 1
11. Constantinople (Ire) (David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, Luke Nolen) - 53g, barrier 7
12. Mr Quickie (Phillip Stokes, John Allen) - 53kg, barrier 10
13. Crown Prosecutor (Stephen Marsh, Craig Grylls) - 52.5kg, barrier 2
14. Vow And Declare (Danny O'Brien, Craig Williams) - 52.5kg, barrier 9
15. Brimham Rocks (GB) (Chris Waller, Michael Dee) - 52kg, barrier 20
16. The Chosen One (NZ) (Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, Stephen Baster) - 52kg, barrier 22
17. Qafila (David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, Cory Parish) - 51.5kg, barrier 6
18. Wolfe (Jpn) (Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Beau Mertens) - 50kg, barrier 5
19e. Sound (Ger) (Michael Moroney, James Winks) - 54kg, barrier 8
20e. Neufbosc (FR) (David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, Jye McNeil) - 54kg, barrier 3
21e. True Self (Ire) (William Mullins, Declan Bates) - 52kg, barrier 12
22e. Prince Of Arran (GB) (Charlie Fellowes, Jamie Kah) - 53.5kg, barrier 11
