For more than 50 years, Tulloch Lodge has been the home to the great Randwick milers – and Siege Of Quebec fits the profile that has delivered 28 big Randwick mile handicaps.
Since Speed Of Sound won the Epsom in 1968, the bone and muscle philosophy has driven the Bowral Street stable and delivered countless winners over the testing Randwick mile from on the speed.
Under siege: Siege of Quebec out toughs Pierata in the Bill Ritchie Handicap.
Tommy Smith won seven Epsoms and seven Doncasters, figures matched by his daughter Gai Waterhouse, and the mould is generally that of Siege Of Quebec or Arbeitsam, which Waterhouse saddles up in partnership with Adrian Bott in Saturday’s Epsom.
It's also important to get the horse in on the right mark and Siege Of Quebec, which was within a length of the fancied pair Pierata and D’argento in the Randwick Guineas, has got that advantage. He has only 50kg and gets four kilos from Pierata and 3-1/2kg from D’argento.
Waterhouse has booked James Innes jnr, a noted jump-and-run hoop, to ride at the 50kg.
“I had jockeys telling me that they could ride him a kilo over, [but] I’m not giving up my advantage,” Waterhouse said. “He had 50kg and that’s what he will carry, and James told me he would do the weight. That makes a big difference."
The majority of Waterhouse’s seven Epsom winners have got in at the bottom of the weights, including Theseo, which had 51.5kg, and Desert War, which carried only 50.5kg to the first of his two wins in the race.
Seige Of Quebec has been around the mark in his generation, with his fifth in the Randwick Guineas a gutsy effort. He has stepped up to open company and won his place in the Epsom in the Bill Ritchie Handicap last time where he got the better of Pierata, which he meets the same at the weights.
The son of Fastnet Rock has been sold since his three-year-old days but Waterhouse told her clients to take shares in him, such is her belief in the magnificent four-year-old.
“He has got the good looks and pedigree and he is just coming into his own,” Waterhouse said. “He has got a poor draw, like Arbeitsam, but he has speed to overcome that. He is just really good horse.”
Siege Of Quebec is a $16 chance at Beteasy, which compares favourably to $4.60 and $5 on offer for D’argento and Pierata in a market that is led by Unforgotten at $4.40.
Waterhouse's other representative, Arbeitsam, was third in the Doncaster and follows the mantra of getting out and making the opposition beat him. After three unplaced efforts, he drops back in the weights to carry only 53.5kg.
“He will go forward and this is the race we have been targeting,” Waterhouse said. “He showed how tough he is in the Doncaster.”
Waterhouse will also look for a ninth Metropolitan victory with Sedanzer. The Brisbane Cup winner goes into the group 1 third-up.
“She was a bit disappointing last time but I think she will sit closer from the good draw in the Metrop and she can use her turn of foot like in the Brisbane Cup,” Waterhouse said.
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