MEET THE TRAINERS: GAI WATERHOUSE & ADRIAN BOTT RACING

A celebrated racing legacy, a formidable training partnership and a stable synonymous with success, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are ready to race for your club.

Club Racing Australia is proud to welcome Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing as one of the first four stables officially on board.

Based at the historic Tulloch Lodge in Randwick, Gai and Adrian lead one of Australia’s most recognisable and successful racing operations.

Their stable has produced winners at the highest level, combining generations of racing knowledge with contemporary training methods, an exceptional eye for talent and an unmistakable determination to win.

The team could soon be responsible for preparing, developing and racing one of the first horses to carry club-inspired colours through Club Racing Australia.

The legacy of Tulloch Lodge

The story of Tulloch Lodge stretches back to 1941, when Gai’s father, legendary trainer T.J. Smith, received his training licence.

Over the following five decades, T.J. established one of the most successful stables in Australian racing history. Tulloch Lodge became home to champions including Tulloch, Kingston Town, Gunsynd, Red Anchor and Bounding Away.

T.J. trained a record 282 Group One winners and secured 33 consecutive Sydney trainers’ premierships, creating a racing legacy that continues to influence the stable today.

After working alongside her father for 12 years, Gai received her own trainer’s licence and assumed control of Tulloch Lodge in 1992.

The expectations were enormous, but success arrived immediately. Gai’s first race runner won, as did her first metropolitan runner and her first starter in a Group One race.

It marked the beginning of an extraordinary training career.

An Australian racing icon

Gai went on to establish her own place among the greats of Australian racing.

Her achievements include success in the Melbourne Cup, Golden Slipper, Doncaster Handicap, Caulfield Cup, Sydney Cup and countless other major races around the country.

In 2007, she was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, recognising her remarkable contribution to the sport.

Her list of champions includes More Joyous, Pierro, Fiorente, Vancouver, Dance Hero, Grand Armee, Desert War, Tuesday Joy and Alligator Blood.

Among her greatest achievements was Fiorente’s victory in the 2013 Melbourne Cup. After finishing second in the race the previous year, Fiorente returned under Gai’s preparation to win Australia’s most famous race.

Gai has also developed an outstanding reputation with young horses. She has trained multiple Golden Slipper winners and prepared both Dance Hero and Pierro to complete Sydney’s coveted two-year-old Triple Crown.

Her energy, attention to detail and fierce competitive spirit have made her one of Australian racing’s most influential and recognisable figures.

Adrian Bott’s path to Tulloch Lodge

Like Gai, Adrian Bott grew up surrounded by thoroughbreds.

Raised at the historic Segenhoe Stud in the Hunter Valley, Adrian developed an early understanding of racing and breeding through his family’s involvement in the industry.

After studying at the University of Sydney, he spent time on the Racing NSW stewards’ panel before earning a place in the prestigious Darley Flying Start program. The international scholarship gave him experience across multiple areas of the global thoroughbred industry.

Following the program, Adrian joined Tulloch Lodge as an assistant racing manager.

He immersed himself in every aspect of the stable—from early mornings preparing feeds and walking horses to trackwork, race planning and the management of owners.

His ability, racing knowledge and work ethic quickly stood out. At just 29 years of age, Adrian was offered the opportunity to become Gai’s co-trainer.

A winning partnership

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott officially began their training partnership on 1 August 2016.

Their impact was immediate. Within six days, they celebrated their first stakes winner when Thronum won The Rosebud at Rosehill.

Only weeks later, Global Glamour delivered the partnership’s first Group One victory in the Flight Stakes at Randwick. Seven days after that triumph, the filly won the Thousand Guineas at Caulfield.

It was an extraordinary beginning to a partnership that has continued to produce elite-level success.

Gai brings decades of experience, instinct and a deep understanding of how to prepare horses for major races. Adrian complements that knowledge with a detailed, contemporary approach shaped by his background in breeding, racing administration and international industry experience.

Together, they have created a partnership that respects the traditions of Tulloch Lodge while continuing to evolve its methods for modern racing.

Proven across Australian racing

Since joining forces, Gai and Adrian have prepared Group One winners across a wide variety of ages, distances and racing conditions.

Their headline performers have included Alligator Blood, Farnan, Lady Of Camelot, Converge, Major Beel, Knights Order, Pinot, Tropical Squall and Global Glamour.

The partnership’s major victories include the Golden Slipper, Australian Derby, Sydney Cup, VRC Oaks, Flight Stakes, Thousand Guineas, J.J. Atkins, Metropolitan Handicap and several of Australia’s leading weight-for-age contests.

The stable is especially renowned for identifying and developing young horses, preparing them to race early and helping them build the fitness, confidence and momentum required to perform at their best.

However, its success extends well beyond juveniles. Tulloch Lodge has produced elite sprinters, classic three-year-olds, middle-distance performers and accomplished stayers.

Bringing supporters inside the stable

Club Racing Australia is designed to give sporting supporters a genuine connection to the journey of a racehorse.

Members will be able to follow the experience from the selection and development of their club’s horse through to stable life, training, trials and race day.

That makes communication, accessibility and supporter engagement important qualities in CRA’s training partners.

Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing has a strong tradition of welcoming owners into the experience. From early-morning trackwork and stable visits to regular updates and race-day celebrations, the team understands that ownership is about more than results alone.

For CRA members, following a horse through Tulloch Lodge could offer a fascinating look inside one of Australia’s most historic racing operations, while sharing every milestone with fellow supporters of their club.

It is a chance to see racing through the eyes of the trainers, strappers, riders and stable staff responsible for preparing a horse to perform at its best.

Could Gai and Adrian train your club’s first horse?

Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing is one of four leading stables officially on board with Club Racing Australia.

The partnership offers an extraordinary combination of racing heritage, elite-level success, modern expertise and infectious ambition.

Follow Club Racing Australia and join the journey as we reveal more about our trainers, participating clubs and the horses that will bring this exciting new racing experience to life.