3 minute read

Trainer and jockey quotes following the Group 3 Bisley Workwear Epona Stakes is won by Osmose at Rosehill on Saturday.

Race Result:

1st: Osmose (G Waterhouse & A Bott/T Clark) - $2.90F
2nd: Thalassophile (C Waller/J McDonald) - $7
3rd: Rivaport (G Begg/R King) - $41

Winning Time: 1:55.82 Last 600m: 35.22

Margins: Long Neck x ½L

Osmose wins the the G3 Epona Stakes at Rosehill!@aus_turf_club @GaiWaterhouse1 pic.twitter.com/t1I3bOWOMW

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 23, 2024

Winning Trainer: Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott (Adrian interviewed)

On scoring an early win on Slipper Day: "That helps settle things for the day so we're away now."

On edging out Chris Waller, who trains the second fav for the Slipper "Hopefully that's a sign of things to come. It was getting a bit close for me, I thought she was going to be hard to hold out."

On Osmose: "Full credit to the mare. She is deserving of a stakes win like that. She has been very consistent since she arrived here in Australia and it's good to get a stakes win for all connections.

"She had been around the mark, she just needs this sort of trip and she got it today."

On the ride: "He got all the favours, the stablemate had a lovely time in front and she was just able to stalk it all the way to peel off at the right time and she was very strong late for us."

Future plans: "I've always wanted to keep her in mares' company, whether we can look to change that around now or whether she is sharp enough to come back to a Queen Of The Turf Stakes, a strong mile at Randwick.

"There's not a lot around for mares, whether we could be tempted by something like that or whether we've got to step into open company over a bit of ground, we'll assess off today.

Did she take time to acclimatise? "She has always been good and around the mark, she just needed things to fall her way."

Winning Jockey: Tim Clark

On Osmose: "She's been a mare that's been somewhat frustrating in the fact that she hasn't won a race here but, to be fair, she hasn't had a few things go her way.

"There have probably been two races where she's been most suited and that was the race at Flemington, she just narrowly got beaten, and today, where she was able to win.

"It's probably a long-range plan that's paid off and now that she's got a win on the board hopefully she can go on with it."

On the run: "I found the back of the stablemate who I was confident was going to take me everywhere I needed to go and then it was going to be a matter of being able to put them away and be good enough.

"I think she's going to be even better suited when she gets genuine give in the ground.

"If she got onto a Heavy track in a better race I think she'd be more than competitive, but it's good to see her get the win, she deserved that."

On the track: "The track's beautiful. Obviously they copped a bit of criticism last week and I felt that it wasn't quite what we expect but, today, full credit to them, it's perfect. (There's a) bit of jar out of it (and) good racing ahead."

Beaten Jockeys:

James McDonald (Thalassophile): "Good honest run."

Jason Collett (Verona): "Ran great. Attacked the line well."

Tom Sherry (Pierossa): "Just didn't show up. Not sure."

Jay Ford (Rebel Rama): "She failed to be able to back up her good run the other day."

Blake Shinn (Little Mix): "Ran well."

Damian Lane (So Dazzling): "Terrible today."

Tyler Schiller (Premise): "I thought she was just a touch weak late. Probably just has a shorter sprint."

Regan Bayliss (Howgoodareyou): "A little bit disappointing overall."

Tom Marquand (Ita): "She probably popped a little bit too well and had a horror trip in the three deep line. It would be at the upper limits of her staying capacity. It made sure it wasn't going to happen today sadly."

Sam Clipperton (Yankee Hussel): "She has run well. Just not beginning how she used to. She's racing well."

Chad Schofield (Principessa): "Good run. Had a good trip. Came off the bridle and finished it off well. Probably wants a bit more cut in the track."

Zac Lloyd (Podium Queen): "Probably looking for something a bit easier and maybe a bit of give in the track."

Rachel King (Rivaport): "Massive run. She is really flying this filly. It helped her getting up to 1900m."