Chris Waller is shaping up for his best season in Group 1 racing and is bidding to break into the exclusive 200 club with victory in Saturday’s Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m). The master trainer has already landed 19 elite-level victories this season and will bid to join only Tommy Smith and Bart Cummings – tied on 246 – as conditioners to have amassed 200 Group 1 winners when he saddles Asterix ($13), Birdman ($3.80) and Kovalica ($31) in the cup.
For Kiwi native Waller, who arrived in Australia 28 years ago with little to show, he still struggles to comprehend the magnitude of his operation. “Not in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this,” he told Racenet. “When (wife) Stephanie and I arrived in Australia, the dream was to be noticed and recognised as an OK trainer. As a team, I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved and it’s not something we take for granted either.”
Joining the Greats
In terms of joining Smith and Cummings, Waller insists he feels no extra pressure and will worry about the achievement when it comes. “I understand the noise and appreciate it but it’s not too much of a distraction at the same time,” Waller said. “In racing, especially in Group 1s, you just need to wait for them to happen and stick to the processes that have got you here in the first place. It’s not like you can change anything or train them any differently. You put the best jockeys on, do your homework and prepare them as best you can. When it comes to Group 1 racing there are very few afterthoughts. Everything needs to fall into place.”
Since his first Group 1 with Triple Honour some 6600 days ago in the 2008 Doncaster Handicap, Waller has been on a journey with many horses, none more so than champion mare Winx. Winx won a world record 25 Group 1s under Waller’s care but the self-effacing captain says it’s mostly due to the outfit he guides. “All the success we’ve enjoyed comes back to the team as a whole,” Waller said.
“It’s a lot like a sporting team. You pick your team purposefully and put the right people in the right spots to execute as best you can across all areas of the business. For success to happen you need everyone doing their job to a level and I like to think we’ve got an environment that allows people to do that. I often joke that I spend more time with my work family than I do with my real family. We’ve got a responsibility to our owners and the punters as well to make sure we are taking horses to the races in the best shape possible. Wages only takes you so far. You need to love it as well and they do.”
Pride Of Jenni Looms Large
Half Yours ($3.70f) is a narrow elect for the Doomben Cup ahead of Birdman and ruthless pacemaker Pride Of Jenni ($3.80), who Waller is full of admiration for. “She’s just an amazing horse and the crowds love her,” Waller said. “With the way she races, she just breaks horses’ hearts. Even if she’s stopping at the 200m, everything else is as well. It makes for fascinating racing but as an opposition trainer it’s not much fun.”
Rival trainers know exactly what Pride Of Jenni is going to do. Force the pace and keep the tempo up. But that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. “It’s not team riding but as a group of riders and trainers we probably need to be a little bit out of our comfort zone,” Waller said. “If all of a sudden Jenni is three lengths in front turning for home instead of five or six it is a different race. It comes down to probably being aware and pushing the button a little earlier. But even then, it’s no easy task.”
So, who’s the expert trainer’s best chance at turning her over? “Birdman was favourite for an Australian Cup but was disappointing on the heavy track so it was great to see him run a big race back on top of the ground last start,” he said. “He was a little vulnerable in the Hollindale, so we are mindful of that going into Saturday. Asterix is in great form, winning his past two including the Gosford Cup with a big weight and he deserves his shot at weight for age. And Kovalica, he’s finished third in this race twice. He’s a good horse that loves Queensland. He’s heading towards the Q22, and this is an important stepping stone to that. I don’t expect him to win but as we saw last week with Rothfire, anything can happen in racing.”
Pride Of Jenni’s Camp Confident
The Ciaron Maher-trained Pride Of Jenni had their measure in the Hollindale (1800m) when proving too tough to catch, holding Birdman to a three-quarter-length win. “We don’t do a lot with her now that she’s old and fit; she literally just floated around the gallops this morning (Wednesday) and it’s all systems go,” Maher’s assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said. “Usually, fresher the better. Hopefully, she can back up what she did a fortnight apart because it’ll be very exciting and a good opportunity to strike back in a Group 1.”
Under Declan Bates’ daring tactical rides, Pride Of Jenni has become perhaps the most recognisable cult figure in Australian racing over recent seasons. “Hopefully it’s rinse and repeat. It’s going to be a similar group of horses. Birdman has threatened and a few others have as well and I’m sure there might be a few braver jockeys and riders try to sit a bit closer, but we won’t change anything,” Turnbull said. “Like Dec said post-race, you know when she’s on. In that first 100m, she flew the lids, went straight onto the bridle, travelled, and that’s when you can win those races because you can establish a margin in the middle of the race rather than the latter end when most horses do. The main thing is she’s fit, she’s well, she’s healthy. If she has that spark, then she’s going to be hard to chase down.”
Belmont Action
Two up-and-coming horses take the lion’s share of attention in race four at Belmont on Saturday with Hot And High ($2.15f) leading Fast Harry ($3.80) for market supremacy. Hot And High has been faultless in four starts and resumed with victory two weeks ago in a rating 66+ event, remaining in the same company and with the same weight after Holly Nottle’s 2kg claim. An extra 100m – this time over 1300m – should do her no harm and she has been handsomely supported from $2.70 down.
But Fast Harry has his own admirers from $4.20 in and he has an extra year of experience over his three-year-old adversary. Not seen at the races since November, he has trialled twice in the lead-up to this behind gun stablemate Western Empire, who seriously endorsed that form with a Belmont Sprint victory last weekend. Not only that, but he has trialled well enough against him in second place both times and he could be set for a breakout preparation.
Later, Rainline ($3.10f) heads the market for the $100,000 Racing WA Provincial Series Final (1400m) over God Has Drifted ($4), Stylin’ ($6) and I’m Crafty ($8.50).
