Derby Winner Serpentine Scores At Eagle Farm, Will Target The Melbourne Cup

Former Coolmore partners' runner Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who won the 2020 G1 Derby at Epsom, ran out a three-quarter length winner of an Eagle Farm handicap for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott on Saturday and is targeting the G1 Melbourne Cup in November, according to co-trainer Gai Waterhouse.

“Serpentine, the 2020 English Derby winner, greeted the judge in determined fashion at Eagle Farm today on his road to the Melbourne Cup,” the First Lady of Australian Racing tweeted.

Now racing for an ownership group, the chestnut gelding had placed second in the G3 Archer Hotham S. at Flemington for the training duo last October, but was down the field in the 2022 Melbourne Cup in November. He covered the 2200 metres of the Robbie Fraad Open H. in 2:19.97, with his final 600-metre split a sharp :34.32 (video).

 

Serpentine is just as tough as nails!@clarkyhk gives the @GaiWaterhouse1 and Adrian Bott trained galloper a textbook front running ride. pic.twitter.com/IMjH1ek14p

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 29, 2023