WHITEWATER'S RAPID RETURN TO WINNING FORM

By Graham Potter | Sunday, April 10, 2022

On April 10, a day after Gypsy Goddess’s heroics at Randwick, the David Vandyke trained Whitewater scored an extremely pleasing win for the stable on their home track at the Sunshine Coast when taking out a Class 1 Handicap over 1200m.

Whitewater was first-up, coming back after a five-and-a-half break from race action, and, although the son of Headwater jumped as favourite, he was still relatively easy to back eventually starting at $3.20.

This was Whitewater’s fifth career start. He had finished second on debut … when kicking off his career on July 25, 2021 … before winning a Maiden Plate in his second start … both runs coming over 1200m.

The run of note in his first preparation came next … a runner-up finish to Startantes in a three-year-old race when stepping up to 1350m. Startantes was winning for the third time in a row that day and would go on to run third in the Group 1 Flight Stakes and second in the Group 1 Surround Stake.

Whitewater didn’t quite go on with it in his next start though when he finished fourth, 3.60 lengths behind Bulloo in the Magic Millions Garden City Guineas at Toowoomba on September 25, when taking another step up in distance to 1625m.

It was after the Guineas that Whitewater was given that lengthy break away from racing.

When he retuined, Whitewater brought that touch of class he had previously hinted at to the opening salvo of his new preparation.

Ryan Maloney landed Whitewater in the leading line at the break. It was a relatively competitive opening 100m with several runners looking to go forward, but Maloney was able to place Whitewater in third then fourth place in a fairly compact field as the runners went down the back straight.

Little changed until the approach to the home turn where Maloney had Whitewater cornering three wide with a clear run to the line and only two horses .., the pacesetting First Peoples ($5) and Patriotic King ($9) … ahead of him.

It certainly didn’t take long for Whitewater to assert his authority, gradually settling to the task at first before changing gears and easily putting paid to the runners he had to go past while also doing more than enough to see off any threat from horses who were running on behind him.

The winning margin was a comfortable 1.50 lengths.

That’s two wins and two second place finishes from five starts now. You get the feeling that Whitewater is just warming up.

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