WATERHOUSE / BOTT STABLE COULD HAVE THE GOLD PEARL COVERED WITH SHIKI AND BY CHOICE

By Graham Potter | Thursday, January 8, 2026

Two of the four Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained runners likely to contest the $3 million Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic at the Gold Coast next Saturday will contest the AQIS Gold Pearl QTIS for two-year-old fillies, which will be contested over 1110m at the same track this Saturday.

Shiki and By Choice, both already winners, are both firmly entrenched in the Classic’s Order Of Entry with Saturday’s run in the Gold Pearl run being designed to put the finishing touches on their respective preparations as they head to the Classic.

The Too Darn Hot filly Shiki has been brought along slowly by the Waterhouse / Bott team.
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She won a trial in late September and then scored a tough win in the Group 3 Gimrack on debut as the $3.80 race favourite on October 4.

She had to do it at both ends there, showing good speed to get to the front early and then showing dogged determination in a pressurised finish, with great assistance from Tim Clark in the saddle, to hold off the faster finishing duo of Screen Icon and Masvingo, who both finished within half a length of the winner.

A deserved two month break from race action followed … during which time Shiki won two trials … and she then resumed, again at Randwick, again over 1000m, where she started a very well fancied favourite at $1.80, but failed to live up to market expectations when finishing fourth, 2,85 lengths behind a very smart galloper in the form of the Bjorn Baker trained Warwoven, who after running up another win at Eagle Farm is now the roaring favourite for the Two-Year-Old Classic.

Again, Shiki went out with purpose here … with perhaps too much zeal this time. She led by four length on straightening and was still in control passing the 250m, but this time sustaining the run was a bridge too far as and the final 50m took its toll allowing Warwoven to pounce, and Norman’s Cay and Hardinger followed Warwoven past the Waterhouse/ Bott rained runner in the final strides.

Time Clark retains the ride on Shiki on Saturday.
For her part, the Written By chestnut filly By Choice appears to have had a more fluent preparation.

A winner of two trials, on December 2 and December 18, before tasting race action, By Choice made that transition in telling fashion, winning on debut by just under a length from Masvingo and Tigroni over 1110m at Randwick on December 27.

Regan Bayliss, riding By Choice, was happy to track the leader Masvingo to the home turn. The latter had a kick on straightening and By Choice took a moment to process the message to give chase, but he changed gears in emphatic fashion inside the final 200m to take the measure of Masvingo with 75m left to run … and he went on to claim an impressive debut win.

Regan Bayliss will ride By Choice again on Saturday.
These two Waterhouse / Bott trained runners dominate the betting for the Gold Pearl with By Choice at $3.30 narrowly edging out her stable companion Shiki ($3.70) on the betting boards.

The two other Waterhouse / Bott trained runners in line for a start in the Classic are Knightsbridge, who won a Maiden at Randwick last Saturday, and Lumbini, who won the Magic Millions The Debut at the Gold Coast on December 19 … before following up with a runner-up finish behind Warwoven at Eagle Farm last weekend.