Pair of juvenile winners for Tulloch Lodge

Co-trainer Adrian Bott has watched Echo Gem and Master Ash take out the 2YO races at Canterbury.

As the season draws to a close, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable has showcased a couple of talented rising three-year-olds to win both juvenile events at Canterbury.

Echo Gem won Wednesday’s fillies division over 1250 metres while Master Ash reigned supreme among the colts and geldings.

Waterhouse’s association with Echo Gem’s family goes back to her sire and dam with Squamosa and Porcellanus both trained out of Tulloch Lodge.

Squamosa was a Group Three winner and runner-up to Toorak Toff in the 2010 Golden Rose while Porcellanus was a city winner and Group Three placegetter.

Raced by her breeder Jeremy Tan, Echo Gem ($8.50) was ridden by stable apprentice Rachel King to a 1-1/4 length win over Task And Purpose ($5) after leading from the outset at her second start.

“We’ve always had a lot of time for her. She’s been very sharp in her trials and her work so we were a little disappointed in her at Warwick Farm first time out,” Bott said.

“I believe she had a genuine excuse at Warwick Farm. She’s got a really good turn of foot but we couldn’t see it that day on the heavy track.

“It’s a rain-affected track here today but this is Canterbury and she was much more effective on it.

“We’ll see how she comes through today, whether that’s enough for her this preparation or we press on a bit further.

“Dad was a sprinter and Mum got over a bit more ground so we’re not sure where she sits.”

Master Ash ($21) was also having his second start and led all the way to keep the fast-finishing Sneaking To Win ($3.90 fav) at bay by three-quarters of a length.

“He switched on a lot from that first-up run,” Bott said. “Down at Kembla he was a little bit slow to begin and over the 1000 metres, got run off his feet,” Bott said.

“He’s made natural improvement. He was sharper out of the gates.

“We will look to spring goals with him.”