Waller Weekly News - Chris Waller Racing

Waller Weekly News                                              14 December 2018

The winners kept ticking over this week with the team celebrating five including a double at
Rosehill on Saturday.
Having just her second raceday start, talented filly Zalatte was an impressive winner and looks an
exciting prospect for the Autumn while patience with Abdon was duly rewarded with his first Aussie
victory in Richard Pegum’s colours.
Tonight we look forward to more night racing action at Canterbury plus Plenty running at Moonee
Valley under lights.
Tomorrow’s metro meetings promise to be exciting affairs with runners at Flemington, Doomben
and Randwick where we have Star Thoroughbreds’ Brazen Beau colt Accession in the $500,000
Inglis Nursery, Exoteric in the Listed Christmas Cup and My Nordic Hero, Satono Rasen and Sambro
in the Gr.2 Fugen Construction Villiers Stakes.
           We wish all of our connections the best of luck and a safe weekend!

 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
 •    Winners
 •    News & photos

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

Chris Waller Racing - Winners This Week

Zalatte
3yo F Medaglia D’Oro - Za Star by Zabeel
This promising filly followed up her win
on debut to retain her unbeaten status at
Rosehill on Saturday over 1400m.
Jay Ford was in the saddle and he settled her
back at the tail of the field early on where
the daughter of Medaglia D’Oro relaxed
nicely. As they turned into the home straight
Ford brought her with a sustained challenge
to sweep to the front inside the final furlong
for an impressive success.

Abdon
6yo G Cacique - Kinnaird by Dr Devious
The imported galloper gained his first
Australian success at Rosehill on Saturday
over 2000m, leading home a thrilling stable
first-four.
James McDonald was on board and he rode
a patient race on the son of Cacique, settling
him back towards the rear of the eight horse
field early on.
Abdon travelled well throughout and
McDonald produced him late to narrowly
defeat his stablemate Merovee who was
gallant in second place, only going down
narrowly at the line.

Walkinshaw
3yo G Foxwedge - Permission To Land
by Fantastic Light
The addition of blinkers seemed to work the
oracle on this son of Foxwedge as he scored
at Hawkesbury on Sunday over 1500m.
Jay Ford took the mount and he had him in a
good spot early on, just behind the leaders,
before producing him with a well-timed
challenge to get on top close to home for a
gutsy win

                          Recently Named Horses
                        Name                                          Breeding
 Arakwal                                         Hinchinbrook - Bareena
 Oconee                                          Sacred Falls - Dixie Express colt

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

Categoric
3yo G Zoustar - Thekatcamehome by
Sea Of Secrets
Former stable star Zoustar continues to
provide plenty of winners as a sire and
Categoric was another by him to win this
week.
Victorious at Newcastle on Saturday over
1400m, Kathy O’Hara settled the Star
Thoroughbreds galloper back early on before
coming with a sustained challenge in the
straight to score in impressive fashion.

Devil’s Luck
4yo G All Too Hard - Devil Moon by King
Cugat
This son of Vinery’s All Too Hard broke
through for a maiden win at Wyong on
Wednesday over 1600m.
Michael Walker was on board and he
controlled the race from the outset as he
bounced him straight to the front when the
stalls opened.
The result was never in doubt as Devil’s Luck
travelled strongly throughout before kicking
on strongly in the straight for an easy success in the Raffles Racing colours ahead of stablemate Miss Shanti.

 Looking for your                                   Email sophie@cwallerracing.com
 next Off The Track                                   to flag your interest in retired
 project?                                                     racehorses from CWR.

Waller nominated for Halberg Award
Expat New Zealand trainer Chris Waller has been nominated for Buddle Findlay Coach of the Year at
February’s 56th ISPS Handa Halberg Awards in Auckland.
The Hall of Fame trainer, who is among 14 nominees for the award, has won the last seven trainers’
premierships in his adopted home of New South Wales and has risen to prominence of late through
the deeds of wonder mare, Winx.
The darling of Australian turf has won 29 consecutive races, 22 of those at Group One level,
including four Cox Plates (2040m).
Waller was honoured by his compatriots earlier this year when he was inducted into the New
Zealand Racing Hall of Fame.
The nominations for Buddle Findlay Coach of the Year include: Allan Bunting (rugby), Chris Waller
(horse racing), Clark Laidlaw (rugby union), Dale Stevenson (athletics), Eugene Bareman (mixed
martial arts), Jason Pocock (surf lifesaving), Jeremy McColl (athletics), Joe Schmidt (rugby union),
Kiwi Campbell (waka ama), Leon Birnie (football), Marcelo Lopes (mixed martial arts), Raylene Bates
MNZM (para athletics) and Roly Crichton (para swimming).
The 56th ISPS Handa Halberg Awards will be held on Thursday February 21, 2019, at Spark Arena
in Auckland and televised live on SKY SPORT from 8pm. – NZ Racing Desk

The Autumn Sun Bigger and Stronger
The heir apparent to
champion Winx is
close to returning to
trainer Chris Waller
to begin his autumn
campaign, which is
likely to be his last.
According to part-
owner John Messara,
triple Group One
winner The Autumn
Sun has strengthened
during his break and
is expected to return
to Waller’s Rosehill
stable on December
24.
Messara and the
trainer will meet later
this week to map out
a program for The Autumn Sun, who has won five of his six starts including the JJ Atkins at two and
this season’s Golden Rose and Caulfield Guineas.
“I think we’ll start with the three-year-old races, like the Hobartville and the Randwick Guineas, and
after that it’s open,” Messara told RSN927.
“At some stage in the autumn we’d like to get to weight-for-age and test him against open horses.
There’s a well trodden path in Sydney for three-year-olds and then there’s The Championships as
well, but we’ll be nominating for everything in case the weather conditions change.”
Messara hopes to avoid a mouth-watering clash with the colt’s stablemate Winx during the autumn
after deciding not to race The Autumn Sun in this year’s Cox Plate.
“I don’t want to see her go down, and if she does go down I don’t want to be involved in it,” Messara
said.
“I’ve seen him twice during the break and he’s developed, he’s broadened structurally and I think
he’s going to be a stronger horse. Chris has always felt we’ll see improvement in the autumn.”
The Autumn Sun’s racing days may be over by the end of his three-year-old year if he is successful
at weight-for-age wiht Messara saying there would be no reason to race him as a four-year-old.
“But you never say never,” Messara said. “He may go on but at this stage of the game the inclination
is to stop at the end of the season.
“The Cox Plate could entice us to go on as it’s a great race, but if he’s already won a couple of times
at weight-for-age it wouldn’t be as important as it otherwise might be.” – The Informant

Zalatte sets autumn marker
Zalatte’s triumphant initiation to Saturday racing at Rosehill induced comparisons to a high-profile
stablemate. The Chris Waller-trained Zalatte ($4) sprouted wings over the final 100m to overtake
the highly rated Baller ($3.10 fav) in the 2019 Membership Benchmark 76 Handicap (1400m) and
score by a length. It was a performance that evoked memories of when Ford steered Unforgotten to
a similar swooping win at the same venue around this time last year.
In the 12 months since then, Unforgotten has established herself as one of the top females in the
country, courtesy of wins in the Group I Australian Oaks (2400m) and Group II Chelmsford Stakes
(1600m).
“It’s uncanny, they’re very similar,” Ford said.
“She’s got a devastating turn of foot. From the furlong I knew I was going to get there.”
Adding more merit to Zalatte’s win was the fact that she wasn’t even supposed to be running in
Saturday’s race.
“It wasn’t the plan to go straight to a Saturday race off a maiden win,” stable racing manager Charlie
Duckworth.
“She was going to run on Wednesday in the mile race but it got cancelled due to a lack of
nominations which we thought was a bit rough considering they got eight initial noms and didn’t
even take extended noms.
“We didn’t want to be taking on such proven horses at only her second start, but she’s done what
she’s promised at home.
“I’d imagine she will follow in the footsteps of Unforgotten now and be freshened-up for the
autumn.”
Duckworth reported that Unforgotten is currently in pre-training as she builds towards next year’s
autumn carnival. – Racenet.com.au

Winx back in pre-training
Fans of champion mare Winx received an early Christmas gift on Tuesday from trainer Chris Waller.
Waller in a statement said that the four-time Cox Plate winner is in pre-training at The Hermitage
ahead of an autumn campaign and she
returned to the stable later this week.
“Winx has enjoyed her spell and
commenced some light pre-training at the
farm a few weeks ago,” Waller said.
“She has progressed well since returning, is
bright and looks in excellent condition.
“I plan to meet with the ownership group
and Hugh Bowman next week to discuss
her immediate future and subsequent to
that we will update everyone the plans of a
likely autumn preparation.”
Winx, a seven-year-old mare by Street Cry,
has won her past 29 starts, of which 22
have been at Group 1 level.
Waller also received an unusual accolade for a racehorse trainer on Tuesday.
He’s among the early nominees for New Zealand’s Coach of the Year at the Halberg Awards, the
premier sporting awards in his homeland, with the winner to be announced on February 21 next
year.
Waller, who earlier this year was inducted into the NZ Racing Hall of Fame, is one of 12 candidates
for the honour. – Racing.com

        Winx looking fantastic on arrival back at Rosehill this week with Umut and Candice.

Getting to know Hattie Heal
Hattie Heal is one of our Rosehill-based trackwork riders and took time out this week to tell us a bit
about herself.
“Ï grew up in a little village called Redlynch in Somerset on a farm and my parents have always
owned racehorses so I got into it that way.”
“I had a pony waiting for me before I was even born and rode in pony races from 10 to 16 years of
age and then rode as an amateur on the flat in England.”
“I rode one winner at Musselburgh and worked for Paul Nicholls the last year before moving to
Australia and before that at Richard Hannon’s.”
Nickname? Hattie/Scatty Ratty.
Best Quote? ‘If we were suppose to stay in one place we’d have roots instead of feet.’
Favourite Part of the job? Riding.
Favourite Horse? Matowi/Skillet.
Best Horse ever seen? Frankel.
Role Model? My Dad.
Favourite Food? Salmon.
Favourite Jockey? Ryan Moore
If you weren’t in racing, what would you have done? Interior design.
If you could invite two people for dinner, who would you invite? David Attenborough and Kevin
Hart.
Event in the world that you would most like to attend? Professional bull riding championships.
What would you do with your last $5? Try turn it into $500.
Tip for the weekend? Charlayne/Frascati Miss .

Behind the scenes with Winx
Click on the image below to see video footage and stills taken by acclaimed photographer Sharon
Lee Chapman and her partner Mark Lee who have followed Winx’s journey over the past 12
months.

                              Abdon and dusted
Abdon had been 854 days between wins, but Chris Waller
never lost faith in the English import, who used to be
punched around back home by the great Frankie Dettori.
The six-year-old gelding finished over the top of
stablemates Merovee, Araaja and Naval Warfare to make it
a Waller first four in the Summer Racing Handicap (2000m)
at Rosehill.
“He gallops so well at home, and every time the jockeys
have come in and say, ‘I would have won if’, or ‘I would have
done this if’, so we wanted to get rid of the ‘ifs’,” Waller
stable representative Charlie Duckworth.
Duckworth hoped the win would boost Abdon’s
confidence, similar to the way a victory did wonders for
Exoteric.
Exoteric will race next Saturday in the Christmas Cup and
could be joined by Abdon, as well as Life Less Ordinary,
who races in the same white, green and red colours as
Abdon. Sydney Morning Herald.

Abdon celebrations.

Phylisha and My Nordic Hero.

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

Ellie and Zalatte.

Categoric celebrations.

Walkinshaw celebrations.

                           Devil’s Luck and George.

My Nordic Hero and Inherit.

Krameric and Paret.

                      Alexia and Miss Shanti.

Flagpoles.

Sweet Scandal and
Larry Loophole.