Bank Robber A Steal For Waterhouse Team

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday August 2, 2008

Craig Young

GAI WATERHOUSE and trusted yearling selector George Smith looked across at syndicator Denise Martin with the eyes of bargain hunters. A yearling had rated highly and was going cheap at the William Inglis Premier Sale in Melbourne two years ago.

"When the bidding got to $50,000 they both looked at me as if to say, 'Hurry up,"' Martin recalled yesterday.

Martin gave the all clear and at $70,000 the Dash For Cash colt was knocked down to the Star Thoroughbreds principal. The youngster would be named Bank Robber and add to the mighty association between Martin and Waterhouse, which has netted more than 400 winners.

The most high-profile of those winners was this year's Golden Slipper hero Sebring, which Martin secured for $130,000. The youngster is set to receive champion two-year-old honours, having amassed some $2.5 million in prizemoney, with its large team of owners selling a majority share in Sebring to Widden Stud, valuing the galloper at $30m.

While Sebring has been ruled out of the upcoming spring carnival due to growing pains, the unbeaten Bank Robber returns in today's Club Managers' Association Handicap at Rosehill with premier jockey Blake Shinn keen to continue the association.

"He is an exciting horse," Shinn said in between rides at yesterday's Warwick Farm barrier trials. "He is back bigger and better. We're just waiting to see if he can progress to the next level."

Bank Robber burst on to the scene at a midweek meeting on the Kensington track in January. The youngster blitzed rivals to score by 7.5 lengths. Waterhouse moved Bank Robber to Saturday grade, and the gelding toyed with rivals on two occasions, with the win at Randwick on February 16 prompting the trainer to declare: "He could easily be a derby horse - he is shaping up to be an exciting prospect."

Martin said: "After three significant wins that caught everyone's eye, Gai thought a little let-up would help. He could shoot the breeze at one of the spelling farms and while out he picked up a slight cold. It took two to three weeks to get over, and at the time Gai thought he was always going to be a [better] spring four-year-old so it was opportune to give him a really good break. It was a decision the horse made for us.

"It worked out ideally, worked out to the benefit of the horse. He has come back very big and strong, looks as though he is back better than ever.

"He looks fantastic. Both Gai and Blake were over the moon with his two trials."

The Bank Robber team have no doubt today's assignment is the perfect starting point although they remain cautious.

"There are a number of options for the horse," Martin said. "Gai certainly has in mind the Epsom Handicap. It is not absolutely set in stone; she'll see how he goes in the next couple of runs. He has to step up to the mark. He is now in the better-quality races, better-quality opposition awaits.

"It is very important he performs at that level, and we believe he will. If he does, we will look at programming him for specific races."

Shinn is confident Bank Robber's class will offset the 59 kilograms awaiting today.

"He does go up in weight but he has drawn well in barrier four," Shinn said. "It should be a stepping stone to bigger and better races throughout the spring. I do like the horse."