Gai Waterhouse talks up Golden Slipper chances for Bellazaine & North England

With the 2025 Golden Slipper just weeks away, Gai Waterhouse says her horses Bellazaine and North England stand a good chance of winning the $5 million race at Rosehill Gardens.

The veteran trainer praised her duo’s buildup alongside her training partner Adrian Bott and believes that Bellazaine and North England horse racing season so far bodes well for their odds of winning on March 22nd.

Waterhouse relies on spring form

If anyone knows what a Golden Slipper-winning horse looks like, it is Gai Waterhouse. The Cranbourne-based trainer has won a record seven Golden Slipper races. She famously trained the first, second, and third-placed horses in the 2001 Golden Slipper showcase.

Waterhouse says this experience tells her that spring form is the most important factor to consider when looking at Golden Slipper contenders pre-race.

“It’s the horse that’s had the spring preparation, had a spell and come back in the new year and have a couple of runs then into the Slipper that’s best-placed to perform,” Waterhouse said.

“You don’t want to have them bustled to get there and our pair haven’t been bustled.”

Speaking about Bellazaine specifically, Waterhouse said that the mare’s form has been “nothing short of outstanding.”

“Everything she has beaten comes out and wins…She’s a beautiful filly, we trialled her last week, just nine days after she’d raced, and I love a horse having a trial going into the Slipper. You don’t want to take the gas out of them.”

Blue Diamond form overrated

In addition to highlighting spring form, Waterhouse also revealed that she thinks the horse racing betting market overrates the Blue Diamond Stakes when predicting Golden Slipper winners.

“They talk about the Blue Diamond form, but tell me the Blue Diamond winners that have come and won the Slipper? You can count them on one hand,” Waterhouse said on Sunday.

“It’s a hard thing to do. Lady Camelot went so close last year, but she couldn’t do it and that shows how hard it is.

“The Black Opal–it’s just had the one Slipper winner. The best form line seems to be keeping the horses fresh and timing their runs into the race and that’s how we’ve approached it.”

Golden Slipper betting odds

While Waterhouse thinks her horses have what it takes to win on Saturday, the betting sites disagree.

Chris Waller’s Wodeton is the current favourite with $5 odds to win, while Bellazaine sits at just $12 chances. North England is even further down the list with just $17 odds to win.

James Cummings’ Group 2 Reisling Stakes winner Tempted is second favourite at $5. Pago Pago Stakes winner Skyhook is currently third at $7. Devil Night, this year’s Blue Diamond Stakes winner, has just $11 chances from the betting apps.