Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott
Trainer, Starlight Australia
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott are one of Australia’s leading horse trainers
with facilities in Sydney and Melbourne. It’s a partnership which was formed in 2016 between leading Trainer Gai Waterhouse, daughter of racing legend TJ Smith, and Adrian Bott, who grew up in the racing world and has created a well-respected name for himself in the industry.
The heart of Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing is the historic Tulloch Lodge,
located at Bowral Street, Kensington, seven kilometers from the Sydney CBD.
In addition to Tulloch Lodge, they train out of Tempest Morn Lodge, Bounding Away Lodge, Desert War Lodge, and Sugar Barn Lodge which provide direct access to Randwick Racecourse. They also obtain 24 boxes at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne and have arrangements in other capital cities so they can place horses where they are best positioned to achieve results.
Each yard has its own celebrated history and unique character. Horses are accommodated where they are happiest. They have access to day yards, are housed on luxurious straw bedding and provided with superior feed, care and supervision.
Training facilities at Royal Randwick are second-to-none. The techniques employed by Adrian and Gai include training horses on a variety of track surfaces, swimming – both in the equine pool and at nearby Botany Bay – the hand-walking of horses over Randwick’s hills, treadmill work and the use of many modern aids. All horses are weighed on a weekly basis.
Gai’s father, TJ Smith, made significant contributions to current thinking around horse nutrition and was renowned for his ‘bone-and-muscle’ regime that produced fit and strong horses. Adrian and Gai have blended his legacy with their own observations with the aim of ensuring that every horse achieves its full potential.