Waller Weekly News - Chris Waller Racing

Waller Weekly News                                                 19 April 2019

Days like Saturday on the racetrack are rare and the team is still on cloud nine having managed to
take home three of the Group One races at Randwick while boosting Chris’s tally at the highest
level past the 100 mark to 101.
The outstanding Kiwi filly Verry Elleegant kicked off proceedings and her Gr.1 ATC Oaks victory the
perfect curtain raiser to Winx who made sure she gave her race career the perfect fairytale ending
we were hoping for.
Winx left Rosehill for the last time yesterday and her retirement has been well-documented this
week with just a few of the many stories circulated in this week’s newsletter. We look forward to
bringing you some reflections from the team on their time with Winx in next week’s edition.
Capping an amazing day at Randwick, one year on from Who Shot Thebarman’s emotional Gr.1
Sydney Cup victory, Shraaoh made sure the title remains with the stable for another year. His win in
the race was the stable’s fourth with Stand To Gain and Grand Marshal also victors.
We have been overwhelmed with the mesages of congratulations and support over the past week
and would like to thank everyone for their well wishes.
  We wish all of our connections the best of luck and an enjoyable and safe Easter!

 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
 •    Winners
 •    News & photos

     www.cwallerracing.com | admin@cwallerracing.com | +612 9760 5700

Chris Waller Racing - Winners This Week

Winx
7yo M Street Cry - Vegas Showgirl by Al
Akbar
A sellout crowd showed up at Randwick
on Saturday to see the queen for one last
time and she showed off her brilliance
one last time with success in the Gr.1
Queen Elizabeth over 2000m.
Calm and collected despite the
emotionally charged atmosphere Hugh
Bowman relaxed Winx towards the rear
of the field early on where she travelled
with her usual fluency. Mindful of the
race developing into a sprint home,
Bowman had the mighty mare in a
challenging position as they turned in
and once asked she quickened up in her
usual electric fashion for a decisive win
much to the delight of the adoring crowd.

Verry Elleegant
3yo F Zed - Opulence by Danroad
Jockey James McDonald stated after her
Gr.1 Vinery Stakes win that the Oaks was
Verry Elleegant’s and his confidence in
the daughter of Zed proved correct as
she sauntered to an impressive success
in the Group 1 classic at Randwick on
Saturday.
McDonald switched Verry Elleegant off
just worse than midfield early on where
she travelled comfortably for most of the
journey. A well-timed run saw the duo
hit the front inside the final furlong for a
comfortable success.

Shraaoh
6yo G Sea The Stars - Jumooh by
Monsun
This imported son of Sea The Stars

showed his staying prowess when taking out the Gr.1 Sydney Cup at Randwick on Saturday over
3200m. Jay Ford was in the saddle and he rode a patient race, settling him in midfield early on. Ford
saved plenty of ground towards the inside of the track on Shraaoh and he produced him with a
sustained run to hit the front inside the final furlong for a gutsy success much to the delight of his
large ownership group under the Australian Bloodstock banner.

                  Thanks to Bradley Photographers, Trackside Photography
                          and Darryl Sherer for our weekly photos.

Le Juge
6yo G Dansili - Mambo Light by
Kingmambo
This imported son of Dansili has been in
great form since joining the Queensland
stable and he made it four wins from his
past five starts when winning at Eagle
Farm on Saturday over 1600m.
Robbie Fraad has struck up a great
relationship with Le Juge and he dropped
him out early on before coming with
a sustained run in the straight. Having
swept to the front inside the final
furlong, Le Juge kept going strongly for
another impressive success.

Zouologist
3yo G Zoustar - Fools Gold by
Commands
Having shown plenty of promise last
preparation this son of Zoustar showed
the benefit of a spell when returning
to win fresh up at Warwick Farm on
Wednesday over 1300m.
James McDonald was on board and
he controlled the race throughout on
Zouoligist, settling him outside the leader
early on where he travelled strongly. In
the straight he quickened up smartly to
break his maiden in fine style. He looks
a promising type that has plenty more
victories in store judging by this display.

Beatrice Was Loved
3yo F Love Conquers All - Elvine’s Elsie
by King Of Dane
This daughter of Love Conquers All built
on the promise of her first two starts
when winning at the Gold Coast on
Saturday over 1300m.
Paul Hammersley was in the saddle and
he settled her just behind the speed early on before bringing her with a sustained run in the straight
to score in impressive fashion. Beatrice Was Loved has now gone out for a break full of confidence
and can hopefully build on this victory next preparation.

                  Thanks to Bradley Photographers, Trackside Photography
                          and Darryl Sherer for our weekly photos.

Guise
3yo F So You Think - Maie Casey by
Singspiel
Following up from an impressive debut
win last month this daughter of So You
Think kept her unbeaten record intact
when winning at the Gold Coast on
Saturday over 1400m.
Glen Colless retained the mount having
been on board for that initial success and
he settled her just behind the speed early
on where she traveled strongly. When
produced inside the final furlong Guise
let down for a cosy success.

Stardome
3yo G Savabeel - Celeste by Pentire
This New Zealand bred son of Savabeel
returned from a spell to record his second
career victory at Newcastle on Thursday
over 1600m under Brenton Avdulla.
Avdulla was prominent throughout in
the Go Racing Syndication colours,
settling Stardome in third spot early on.
He travelled strongly before showing a
willing attitude in the closing stages to
score a gutsy success.

         What does Chris Waller do with all the trainer trophies after every big race win?
“I keep all the Group 1 trophies but give the others to my staff,’’ Waller said.
That’s a lot of trophies to dust as Sydney’s champion trainer took his career total to 101 with a
Group 1 hat-trick at Randwick last Saturday, including Winx’s farewell win in the Queen Elizabeth
Stakes.
Waller has become only the sixth trainer in Australian racing history to prepare at least 100 Group 1
winners Tommy Smith (282), Bart Cummings (268), Gai Waterhouse (140), Lee Freedman (124) and
John Hawkes (112).
Winx (seven Group 1 wins) and The Autumn Sun (four) have helped propel Waller to a personal best
17 Group 1 winners so far this season and he is now within three majors of equalling the all-time
record set by Cummings in 1974-75.
There are 13 Group 1 races remaining for the 2018-19 season including the $600,000 All Aged
Stakes at Royal Randwick on Saturday where Waller has Youngstar representing the stable.
Waller, who has already secured his ninth Sydney trainers premiership, has prepared the winners of
nearly $36 million prizemoney — a new Australian record and there is still more than three months
remaining this season.- Ray Thomas, The Daily Telegraph.

Winx wins 33rd straight race in her final run
   at Randwick’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes
Peter Tighe, a part-owner of Winx, paid tribute to the genius of Chris Waller after he trained his
100th Group 1 winner with the great mare’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes success at Royal Randwick.
“I don’t think anyone is more deserving than Chris of getting his 100th Group 1 winner with the
best horse that has ever gone around in the world,’’ he said.
Tighe could be excused for letting the emotion of the moment get to him after the race but there
was a real symmetry about Winx’s farewell win.
Winx has provided 25 of Waller’s century of majors since the trainer won his first Group 1 with
Triple Honour in the 2008 Doncaster Mile.
Waller trained three Group 1 winners on Saturday, he also prepared Shraooh to win the Sydney
Cup and Verry Ellegant to take out the ATC Australian Oaks. With a career tally of 101 Group wins
and counting, he becomes only the sixth trainer to achieve the feat after Tommy Smith (282), Bart
Cummings (268), Gai Waterhouse (139), Lee Freedman (124) and John Hawkes (112).

But what of Winx, the wonder mare who goes into retirement after 33 consecutive wins. She has
broken all sort of records including:
● Winx took her career earnings to $26,451,175 and is now the greatest prizemoney earner in
world racing.
● Her 25th Group 1 win is a world record. Black Caviar retired with 25 wins, 15 at Group 1 level.
● The date of Winx’s final race, April 13, was the same as Black Caviar’s in the 2013 TJ Smith Stakes.
● Hugh Bowman’s 32nd win on Winx equalled the jockey-horse record of Ted Bartle and High Caste
set 80 years ago.
● With a career total of 37 wins, Winx retires with the same number of wins as Phar Lap.
● Winx becomes the only horse to win three consecutive Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
● TAB took its biggest ever bet on a horse race with a $550,000 wager at $1.06 on Winx.
Debbie Kepitis, a part-owner of Winx, said: “She is the most amazing, supreme athlete I’ve ever
seen handled by the best coach.’’
Hugh Bowman admitted “it’s hard to believe it’s the end actually” but Tighe said Winx’s retirement
was a time for celebration, not sadness.
“It is the end in one way and the start in another,’’ Tighe said. “I’m not sad, no point being sad. The
tears are all tears of joy. Winx is going to become a mum now so there is a few more chapters to go
with this story.’’
Hugh Bowman guided the great mare to her third Queen Elizabeth Stakes win, her last race before
retirement.
The win was not only a milestone moment for Winx but also for trainer Chris Waller, who picked
up his 100th Group 1 victory. Verry Elleegant’s success at the ATC Oaks earlier in the day moved
Waller to 99 before Winx helped him raise the ton. He added Group 1 No.101 with Shraaoh in the
Sydney.
Winx’s win follows the TAB taking the biggest single wager on the mare, with one punter dropping a
cool $550,000 on her last race. – The Daily Telegraph

Melbourne Cup on radar for
                  ATC Oaks star Verry Elleegant
Chris Waller had to wait a little longer than he thought to get Verry Elleegant but it was worth it.
The champion trainer was very keen to buy Verry Elleegant before now-suspended trainer Darren
Weir and his owners snuck under the radar and got her at the last minute.
When Weir was outed this year, she was quickly transferred to Waller, who has won three races
from four starts with Saturday’s triumph in the Australian Oaks being his 99th Group 1 win as a
trainer.
“We thought we had her,” Waller said. “We made offers but it was just too hard then the next thing
she’s coming over to us for Darren’s stable.
“It’s funny how it works out. You’ve got play the long game.”
Waller said she could develop into a Melbourne Cup horse, but said he would know more when she
returned in the spring.
“It’s hard to say if she’ll stay or not, time will tell, but the best is yet to come,” he said of the filly who
won the Vinery Stud Stakes last month. “We’ll be remembering Verry Elleegant’s win here. It was a
great race and she’ll have a great spring.”

James McDonald rode the filly, who was at her usual high head carrying best throughout the run,
which would normally worry punters, but that’s just the way she races.
McDonald rode her very confidently from the 800m and she looked comfortable the whole way in
defeating the courageous Scarlet Dream by 1 ¾ lengths. She paid $2 with the TAB.
“This has been brilliant. She’s been a work in progress. I’ve had a lot to do with her for the whole
time. She has been tricky but she has grown up so much,” McDonald said.
“I never thought I would see the day of her relaxing over 2400m, however, she has done that
brilliantly. She felt even better on that track today. She ran as straight as a dime and was dominant.
“I’ve had four or five days to think about the whole game plan. I was at the barrier draw and got
barrier 12. I was a little bit devastated by that because I thought she would need all of the favours.”
Race second favourite Frankely Awesome ($5) ran third after a mid-race move by jockey Hugh
Bowman to take up the running. She ran on gamely
“She ran her race. I was very proud of her but the winner was just too classy,” Bowman said. – The
Daily Telegraph

   Sydney Cup: Jay Ford coolness delivers
 third Group 1 for Chris Waller with Shraaoh
                   success
Jay Ford broke his Group 1 drought with a cool ride on Shraaoh over the 3200m at Royal Randwick
to give trainer Chris Waller three majors in as many races.
Waller had won the ATC Oaks with Verry Elleegant then his champion Winx got the job done in the
Queen ­Elizabeth Stakes before Ford steered Shraaoh to a lovely win in the Australian Bloodstock
colours.
“It has been a memorable day,’’ ­Waller said. “I think there is a good chance I won’t forget this day.
“Jay hops on these lightweight horses when no one else wants to ride them, whether it’s Canterbury
on a Wednesday or today and he’s deserves it more than anyone.”
Ford rode the six-year-old well and was travelling beautifully before the home turn as the breaks
began to open up for him.
“I felt from the 600m I was a big chance,’’ he said. “I had a few decent ones on the inside of me but,
when I got the split and hadn’t spent a penny, I knew it was going to have to be something good to
come from behind me.”
Ford’s previous Group 1 was on the Michael Moroney-trained Monaco Consul in the 2009 Spring
Champion Stakes. On Saturday, he downed a ­Moroney-trained runner, Vengeur Masque, by half a
length, with Glory Days third.
“It was very satisfying,’’ Ford said.
“It’s been a long time since my last Group 1 winner. I’ve ridden probably 50 stakes winners in that
time but the big one has eluded me.
“I used to ride a very good horse (Takeover Target) and then he ­disappeared. Things have been up
and down since then.”
Waller thinks Shraaoh ($12) may be back for a crack at the Sydney Cup again next year but not sure

he’ll match up to them in a Melbourne Cup just yet.
“These European horses adapt to Australia where they can go to another level,’’ Waller said. “He
might be back like (Who Shot) Thebarman for a few more.
“He was identified from England by the people behind the horse and I thank them very much.
They’ve e
        ­ ntrusted me to set him for it. He won first-up over 2800m.
“That gave us the confidence to know he was capable of winning a race like this. You hope they
come up. The team in the northern hemisphere said he was twice the horse on a dry track and he
proved that today.”
Australian Bloodstock’s Jamie ­Lovett said things worked out perfectly and he praised Waller for his
­management of his stayer.
“He got a lovely ride from Jay and we bought the horse for these sort of cups so it’s very rewarding,”
he said.
“I’m a bit shell-shocked, to be h
                                ­ onest. Chris is one of the best trainers in the world and I’m very
lucky to have one of the best looking after my horse.”
Favourite Dubhe ($4.40) was never in the race and ran 12th after jockey Kerrin McEvoy had him
under the whip a long way from home.
“He was sluggish out of the gates,’’ McEvoy said.
“He never travelled at all. I was forever trying to get him on to the bridle. He stayed on OK but was
not quick enough through the first part.” – The Daily Telegraph

The story behind trainer
          Chris Waller’s family shrine to Winx
What is there left to say about Winx?
Not much. I believe she is the greatest horse we’ve ever seen in Australia and she owns a record
that puts her right in the argument for being the best horse any time, any where.
You may disagree. There have been so many arguments about Winx, and they will continue long
after her last race, in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Of all the discussions about Winx, one of the most intense took place in an oak tree-lined street
running down one side of Awapuni Racecourse on New Zealand’s north island where Waller’s mum
Marilyn and his dad John live
Not long after Winx’s second Cox Plate victory John had an idea.
When a horse starts to accumulate successive wins, punters call it a “picket fence” because in the
form guide a series of 1s looks a bit like a fence. A form history of a horse boasting four straight
wins would look like this - 1111.
Well back then in October 2016, Winx had won 13 consecutive races 1111111111111. To honour
her, John decided he would build a real picket fence across his front yard.
Marilyn did not like this idea, and said so in the strongest possible terms. So John built a Winx
shrine in the lounge room, using 13 paddle pop stick to create a miniature picket fence.
He could not have known Winx would win four Cox Plates and the shrine would need 32 sticks 11
111111111111111111111111111111 for each of her victories. If John had braved the domestic
storm and gone ahead with the real picket fence, it would by now stretch across his yard and his
neighbour’s as well.
Winx has done the unthinkable. Horses just don’t win 33 races, let alone in a row, including 25
Group Ones and over $25,000,000 prize money and she added her last paddle pop stick to n
Saturday.– AAP

Shut the gate: Waller staff
                      give Winx a fond farewell
It was the final farewell to her racing home of Rosehill for Winx as she moved to the next stage of
her career on Thursday.
As has become the custom, Chris Waller and his team posed for a photo with Winx before she left
on Thursday.
The champion mare completed her racing life by winning her third Queen Elizabeth Stakes in front
of modern-day record crowd at Randwick.
It was all smiles for Waller’s staff as they posed with the winner of 37 races, her last 33 in
succession, including 25 group 1 wins.
“It has been relief from the time she hit the front on Saturday,” Waller said. “You didn’t want to let
anyone down.
“Even I don’t realise what pressure there was with her.
“We have really been able to enjoy the past couple of days with her, and the photo is good way to
keep this memory.”
A decision on which stallion Winx will see is likely to will be made in the next month. She will enjoy
a couple of months in a familiar paddock before that.
Waller said that Winx’s stall would have ongoing significance after being vacated.
“It will always be where we would put a special horse now,” Waller said. “It will be the best way to
honour her.”– Sydney Morning Herald.

Click on the image below and watch Winx load up as she leaves Rosehill for the last time.

How Winx helped build Cassidy’s backyard
When Larry Cassidy gazes around his Brisbane backyard, it’s impossible not to think of Winx.
That’s because he sold the saddle he used when he won on Winx in the first of her 33-race winning
streak to fund some backyard renovations.
Cassidy put the saddle on eBay and the bloke who snapped it up was Canadian tax accountant
Martin Wickins – who loves Winx so much he flew to Australia just to watch her 18 times.
Racenet wrote about Wickins last week in the lead-up to Winx’s farewell and you can read that
feature story HERE
But back to Cassidy, the man who helped launch Winx’s famous winning streak when he won the
2015 Sunshine Coast Guineas on her.
Cassidy never rode her again, with Hugh Bowman getting on for her next win in the Group I
Queensland Oaks, but Cassidy retains plenty of special Winx memories.
And he told how a piece of Winx memorabilia from the first win of her streak gave him a backyard
to be proud of.
“I kept the saddle from the first win of her streak and I got Chris Waller to sign it – but I sold it
because I had to do some work on my backyard and it wasn’t cheap to do,” Cassidy says.
“It paid for about a third of my backyard.
“I had listed it on eBay as pick-up only but the bloke who bought it (Wickins) was in Canada so we
came to an agreement.
“It is quite a surreal feeling knowing that I was the jockey who rode her when she started that
amazing winning streak.
“I was riding at Eagle Farm last Saturday when Winx had her farewell and they called us (jockeys)
out for a race. But we sat around the TV and watched her win before going out to ride.
“It was a very fitting for her to finish her career in the way she did.” - Racenet.com.au

Start of Brisbane winter carnival
                        a Waller-athon
The Brisbane winter racing carnival
gathers steam on Saturday with
four stakes races to be run at
Doomben - and Chris Waller has
a strong hand including seven of
eleven runners in one race.
Racenet has the fields and form for
the meeting online.
A total of 125 acceptances have
been declared across the nine
races.
The four listed races are worth
$125,000 each and they are the
Mick Dittman Plate (1110m), the
Tails Stakes (1615m), the Princess Stakes (1615m) and the Ascot Handicap (1200m).
Tony Gollan’s sprinter Ef Troop, the winner of a recent Doomben trial, will carry number one
saddlecloth in the Mick Dittman Plate while Godolphin galloper Plague Stone is an interesting entry.
Plague Stone started at $9 in last year’s Blue Diamond Stakes but disappointed and has not been
seen at the races since finishing seventh in the Group III San Domenico Stakes at Rosehill last
August.
Champion trainer Chris Waller has seven of the 11 entries in the Tails Stakes and they include
popular galloper Tom Melbourne which has been given topweight of 58.5kg.
Tom Melbourne was last seen running third in the Doncaster Prelude behind stablemates Mister
Sea Wolf and Abdon.
While Tom Melbourne is among the entries, along with stablemates Exoteric, My Nordic Hero,
Savvy Coup, Kaonic, Tumultuous and Tangled, the Waller stable has indicated “Tom” is not yet a
confirmed runner.
Former Kiwi Savvy Coup is an interesting entry – three of her five Australian starts have been in
Group I races including when beaten 11 lengths by Winx in last year’s Cox Plate.
Waller, who has dominated the Sydney autumn carnival and brought up his 101st Group I winner on
Saturday, also has three entries in the Princess Stakes.
They are Tatcee, Word For Word and Julkkis while Queensland trainers have a strong hand with
Baccarat Baby (David Vandyke), Light Up The Room (Tony Gollan) and Barefoot (Tony Sears).
In the Ascot Handicap, Cellarman for Waller and I’m A Rippa for Tony Gollan have been allotted
topweight of 59.5kg while Toby Edmonds and Robert Heathcote have both entered a pair of
runners.
The Doomben track was rated a good (4) at acceptance time. The rail will be in the three-metre
position for the entire course.
The nine-race programme commences at 11.32am with the final event to be run at 4.27pm. -
Racenet.com.au

2019
          MATT CALLANDER
                          Race Day
                          Race Day
                          Saturday, 1st June 2019
                           Rosehill Racecourse

            Australian Turf Club along with the Callander family
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                                     PROUDLY SUPPORTING

Upcoming runners

Upcoming runners

Verry Elleegant celebrations.`

Shraaoh celebrations.`

Le Juge celebrations.

Beatrice Was Loved celebrations.

Guise celebrations.

Zouologist celebrations.
Julkkis celebrations.

Anita on Voila.

Elodie on Thrum.

Kat on Remuera and Sean on Araaja.

Sean on Kubrick and Anita on Would Be King.

Mick
Kat    and Dealmaker.
    on Yulong Peento.                   Elodie andand
                                                   Carzoff.
                                          Dewalt      Mr Sea Wolf.

               Charlotte and Zalatte.   Winx and Umut sample a cake from Mr Lloyd
                                        Jones.

Daniel and Pancho.   Seaway.
Lean Mean Machine.