Last year's VRC Crown Oaks winner and subsequent ATC oaks placegetter, Lasqueti Spirit, returns to ignite her Spring Campaign in Wednesday's time honoured Listed Rowley Mile over the 1600 metre course at Hawkesbury.
With an injection of prizemoney that has now seen it this year lifted to $150,000, the race has attracted the form horse of the Sydney winter, Arbeitsam, who is aiming for his fourth win in five starts at five different distances, dropping back from 1800 metres at his last start Rosehill win on the 12th August.
It will be another great training effort from Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, who will be on hand to collect the Trainers’ Premiership trophy for Hawkesbury’s 2016-17 season.
Arbeitsam will be sent out a deserved short-priced favourite, with the ability of his trainers in big 'mile' races being unquestioned. The Waterhouse-Bott team return to the Clarendon track to pick off another Black Type mile, following the combination training Fabrizio to take out this year's Livamol Hawkesbury Gold Cup back in April.
The Waterhouse factor in the Rowley Mile comes with her fifth success in 2015 with one-time 2014 Melbourne Cup favorite The Offer (Blake Shinn); her earlier winners being Adamantly (Brian York) in 2001, Fiery Venture (Len Beasley) in 2003, Beauty Watch (Nash Rawiller) in 2007, and Rabbuka (Shinn) in 2008.
Beauty Watch’s 1.33.69 remains as the race record.
The Hawkesbury Rowley Mile – named after the famous course at England’s Newmarket racetrack – was first run in 1881, with only the Hawkesbury Gold Cup and Hawkesbury Guineas – both introduced in 1871 – are older races than the “Mile”.
“The injection of prizemoney this year to $150,000,is fitting for this historic race,” said Hawkesbury Race Club chief executive Greg Rudolph.
“The Rowley Mile has been run at different timeslots over the years and more recently was run on our stand-alone Saturday until 2013, however deserves to establish itself as a late Winter feature, coupling as a starting point for some Spring campaigns,” he added.
The Garry Frazer trained Group 3 winning mare, Spright, also looking to resume her Spring campaign, will gallop between Races 5 and Race 6 on Thursday.