Racing: Descarado on track for spring Cups

Gai Waterhouse. Photo / Getty Images

Gai Waterhouse continued her charge towards the spring staying features as Descarado led throughout in the Group Two Hill Stakes.

A week after producing Herculian Prince for an all-the-way win in the Kingston Town Stakes (2000m), Waterhouse did likewise with Descarado in yesterday's 1900m weight-for-age feature.

The former New Zealander was taken to the front by in-form hoop Peter Robl and the four-year-old was strong to the line to hold off Triple Honour by a length with 2 lengths to Purple in third.

Waterhouse will now take Descarado to Melbourne for the Group Two Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) on October 9 before his main aims of the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

Descarado's win was his first in Australia since joining Waterhouse's team but the High Chaparral gelding had already shown his staying potential with his second to Shoot Out in this year's Group One AJC Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick.

After seeing Descarado race in the Theo Marks (1400m) last Saturday, Waterhouse was confident the gelding was ready to produce the goods in the Hill Stakes.

"I get such a kick when I see a horse like this because he's taken a while to get right," Waterhouse said.

"I only galloped him once this week, I put blinkers on him and set him alight, made him bowl over a mile. After that I just thought - you're right."

The trainer has never won the Melbourne Cup but has three horses - Descarado, Herculian Prince and Once Were Wild - being aimed at the 150th running this year.

And after the past two weeks everything appears on target.

"Herculian Prince has a higher cruising speed, he can go faster than Descarado but this horse will just go all day," Waterhouse said.

Robl has been in outstanding form and his win in the Hill Stakes was his fourth stakes victory in the space of two weeks.

He teamed with Waterhouse on Thursday to win the Group Three Newcastle Gold Cup on Stratofortress.

- AAP