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Bott looking on Brightside ahead of Royal return

Royal Patronage will be in unchartered waters when he resumes over a mile in the 7 Stakes.

ROYAL PATRONAGE.
ROYAL PATRONAGE. Picture: Bradley Photos

Tulloch Lodge trainer Adrian Bott has had a vested interest in the start of Mr Brightside's spring campaign and hopes that gelding's good form augurs well for his own stable heavyweight, Royal Patronage.

The Lindsay Park-prepared Mr Brightside and Royal Patronage both competed in Hong Kong's Champions Mile (1600m) in April, neither managing to produce their best and finishing down the track.

However, Mr Brightside has shown no ill effects from the travel, bouncing back to finish second to star mare Treasurethemoment first-up in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) and capturing the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) last Saturday.

Those performances have been heartening for Bott, who is hoping Royal Patronage can also rebound when he resumes at Randwick this weekend.

"Things didn't work out for him in Hong Kong but he's had a good break off the back of that," Bott said.

"He is first-up here and Mr Brightside has shown you can bounce back off those international preps.

"He seems in good shape and he is coming up well."

Royal Patronage is an acceptor for the 7 Stakes (1600m) and Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) but he is slated to tackle the former due to the combination of a big weight, wide draw and uncertainty over whether he will gain a start as third emergency in the shorter race.

Bott admitted to some reservations about kicking him off over a mile with his two previous fresh wins in Australia coming over sharper trips, however, the horse did finish runner-up in the Doncaster Mile over the course and distance.

"The mile first-up is new territory for him," he said.

"He's a horse that performs really well first-up and does well fresh but that's been over 1400 and 1300.

"The mile seems to be his ideal distance though, so I think he can be effective in that regard and he's had a good grounding to get here."

The 7 Stakes has attracted a field of 11, highlighted by last year's winner Fangirl, dual Group 1 winner Ceolwulf and the Ciaron Maher-trained pair of Light Infantry Man and Gringotts.

Bott said Royal Patronage was being aimed towards the King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Everest day.


Racing and Sports

Randwick

Saturday, 20th September 2025

8
ET

7 STAKES

Age: 3yo and up Type: OPEN
1 m TURF GOOD
8

(local)
AUD $1,000,000
1 m GOOD

7 STAKES

Age: 3yo and up Type: OPEN


FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 11. FANGIRL (AUS) 7yo M
SEBRING (AUS) - LITTLE SURFER GIRL (AUS)
JAMES MCDONALD
CHRIS WALLER
$2.05
57kg
Ingham Racing (Mgrs: Ms L J Ingham, J A Ingham, R C Ingham & Mrs D N Kepitis)
2nd 6. LINDERMANN (AUS) 6yo G
LONHRO (AUS) - SELF ESTEEM (AUS)
NASH RAWILLER
CHRIS WALLER
$5
59kg
Woppitt Bloodstock (Mgr: Mrs D N Kepitis)
3rd 1. CEOLWULF (NZ) 5yo G
TAVISTOCK (NZ) - LAS BRISAS (GB)
CHAD SCHOFIELD
JOSEPH PRIDE
$4
59kg
Ungar Family (Mgr: T M Ungar), W M Shelton, Mrs S E Shelton, P A Young, A J Rix, B D Playford, D Perkins, L J Howl & Team T S A No. 2 (Mgr: Ms S Jones)

Sales Information

4th 3. PRIVATE EYE (AUS) 8yo G
AL MAHER (AUS) - CONFIDENTIAL QUEEN (AUS)
ADAM HYERONIMUS
JOSEPH PRIDE
$6.5
59kg

Sales Information

5th 7. KOVALICA (NZ) 6yo G
OCEAN PARK (NZ) - VITESSE (NZ)
ZAC LLOYD
CHRIS WALLER
$81
59kg

Sales Information

6th 2. LIGHT INFANTRY MAN (FR) 6yo G
FAST COMPANY (IRE) - LIGHTS ON ME (GB)
ETHAN BROWN
CIARON MAHER
$19
59kg

Sales Information

7th 8. MILITARIZE (NZ) 5yo G
DUNDEEL (NZ) - AMERINDIA (GB)
JASON COLLETT
CHRIS WALLER
$21
59kg

Sales Information

8th 9. KADAVAR (NZ) 5yo G
TARZINO (NZ) - ARAPAHO MISS (AUS)
KERRIN MCEVOY
CHRIS WALLER
$201
59kg

Sales Information