Waller weekly news 26 October 2017 Two Mulcaster Bloodstock buys for the stable saluted at Randwick this week. Mortar Platoon - Weary s full brother - was bought from a breeze up sale in France and has won three to date for Geoff and Mary Grimish while Guy looks to have secured another exciting colt for Neville Morgan. Having purchased Group One winner Kermadec at Karaka and sealing a deal for him to now stand at Darley, Kaonic s win on Saturday hinted he may follow a similar path. The Savabeel colt was also bought at Karaka and has the pedigree and physique to make a great stallion prospect, we just need to add some successful Group performances to his resume to complete the package. The team is on the brink of a truly historic moment if our magnificent mare Winx returns victorious in Saturday s Cox Plate. The win would be her 22nd in a row and her third in the iconic event. The team have received plenty of great coverage in the media recently leading up to this race and Are grateful for the support of everyone involved and the positive way they are respresenting the stable. 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
l CHRIS WALLER RACING - WINNERS THIS WEEK mortar platoon 5yo G Myboycharlie - America Nova by Verglas Weary s younger brother may not possess the same level of ability as that former stable favorite at this stage but he is nevertheless a handy galloper in his own right as he showed again on Saturday when winning at Randwick over 1600m under apprentice jockey Lee Magorrian. The young Irish hoop showed why he is good value for his 3kg claim as he rode a patient race on the Irish bred son of Myboycharlie, settling him in mid division early on before coming with a welltimed challenge in the home straight to hit the front inside the final furlong for a gutsy success. Stable mate Hogmanay ran with credit into third. The winner seemed to relish the soft track conditions and can hopefully add to this win in the coming weeks now that his confidence should be restored with this win. kaonic 3yo C Savabeel - Fast Love by Fastnet Rock This talented son of Savabeel made it two wins from just three starts with an impressive victory at Randwick on Saturday over 1600m. In doing so making it back to back city wins after he had been placed on debut. Glyn Schofield has been aboard for all his races and he rode a patient one on Saturday settling him near the tail of the field early on, well off the early pace. Kaonic was always travelling strongly and Schofield angled him widest of all into the straight coming with a sustained run to sweep to the front approaching the final furlong for an extremely impressive success. The successful colours of Neville Morgan have of course been carried to victory in some big races by Rangirangdoo and Kermadec in the past and on this evidence Kaonic could have the ability to follow in their footsteps. Thanks to Bradley Photographers, Ross Stevenson and darryl sherer for our weekly photos. www.bradleyphotos.com.au
Kaonic win confirms Carbine Stakes start Kaonic brought back memories of Kermadec at Randwick, as the colt locked onto the same spring path as the Group One winner. Racing in the same colours as Kermadec for owner Neville Morgan, Kaonic's second win in three starts rubber stamped Chris Waller's plans to send the three-year-old to Melbourne. After claiming the 2CH Handicap (1600m) by two lengths, Waller's racing manager Charlie Duckworth said Kaonic would target the Group Three Carbine Club Stakes over the same trip on Victoria Derby day at Flemington on November 4. Kermadec won the Carbine Club Stakes in 2014, the first black-type victory for the subsequent Doncaster Mile and George Main Stakes winner. "Hopefully he can head to Melbourne for the same target as Kermadec himself," Duckworth said. "That was the plan before the race and it's a lot easier to make the call now that he's gone and done that on a softer track," Duckworth said. "What makes him good is the fact he's so laid back about it all. He takes it all in his stride," Duckworth said. Glyn Schofield rode Kermadec to glory in the George Main Stakes in 2015 and is keen to stay on Kaonic when he ventures to Flemington. "He's come a long way in a short period of time, he's certainly going about it the right way," Schofield said. - AAP Racing Glyn Schofield on Kaonic (above) and Kermadec.
l Waller s world One day at a time you get into a cage that you don't see yourself getting into. Next thing you're in it and the door is locked. In Sydney it might be called the Druitt Street test. Down south, replace Druitt with the Bourke Street Mall. You are a 'famous' racing person. You're recognised by your wife and kids - only just, because you see so little of them - and they know you at the racetrack. But do they know you beyond it? A little, says Chris Waller. "Probably 2.5 per per cent (recognition) in Druitt Street (Sydney) and maybe five per cent in the Bourke Street Mall," Waller says from a cafe at Crown Casino as he contemplates life, fame, paranoia and Winx. "Yeah probably more recognised in Melbourne, funny enough, and that's a great advertisement for the way Melbourne embraces sport and racing." Winx's superstardom has dragged Waller into unfamiliar territory, into a spotlight that makes him blink. Fame isn't something the 43-year-old New Zealander imagined when he slipped into Sydney in 1998 with a girlfriend (now wife, Stephanie), two maxed-out credit cards and one horse. Waller methodically began chalking up winners from the mid-2000s but the recognition was mostly from 'racing tragics' who observed the steady rise of a man who has become one of only a small handful of genuinely recognisable racing 'stars'. Recognition, that feeling that eyes are upon you, makes Waller 'extremely appreciative' and a little uneasy. He says he has always been paranoid about how he is perceived by others. A wander through Melbourne, maybe along the river, makes him self-conscious. The urge is to be invisible. "People might get a laugh when they read this but when you know you are being noticed - and let's face it, it's because of Winx - you sort of look around and go 'Gee that person has noticed me'. You really don't know how to act. Do you look down or do you acknowledge it? It really does sound silly but it's so unfamiliar." Waller says the trajectory of his career and the experience of Winx has presented challenges and dilemmas. It has been a glittering career and a heavenly gift - Winx - but it has often been bittersweet. "I couldn't admit if before but I've come to terms with it now. This (career) has taken over my life," he said. "One day at a time you get into a cage that you don't see yourself getting into. Next thing you're in it and the door is locked. "I'm very disciplined and mentally I'm great but you also know that the challenge ahead is to get out of that cage and get back to some sort of normality." In some ways he longs for the day Winx is no longer there. Peter Moody said something similar after Black Caviar. The champion horse experience can be claustrophobic. "Part of me is looking forward to it," Waller said. "That's my shining light - the pressure release - on the dark side of Winx retiring. While you don't want her to retire, you want to be able to think about something else, then try and find the next one.
"Demanding isn't the right word. But no matter what you're doing, Winx is there in the background, white noise. It's always there, simmering away. "You're thinking of Winx like you would be your wedding a month out, or in the same way you would the birth of your first child. She just keeps popping up. "Like this week leading into the Cox Plate; you think about it 10 times a day. You want the race run now, not in five days' time, because you want it over. "You don't really have much to worry about. She's in fantastic form. You don't have to make her run faster. You don't worry about the weather because it makes no difference to her. You don't worry about barrier draws or rivals, unless the next champion is coming through and that doesn't seem to be the case. But you just want it over with." Waller remembers the backlash two years ago when he kept mum about a minor operation to remove a bone chip from Winx's knee. The procedure was so minor, it wasn't even necessary. "I should have said something at the time but I didn't and each week that went along it became more pressing but we decided to wait until she trialled, then it was sort of too late. We got hate mail. I guess there was a lesson in it," he said. Even before Winx, Waller says he was mindful of perception about him and his stable; and of racing. He had leapt onto the scene in Sydney in a handful of years. "I've probably always been a bit paranoid about what people think and it's something I admit to," he said. "I was paranoid a few years ago when we were going really well, with three or four runners in Group 1s, that maybe we were perceived as too strong, getting too powerful, and that maybe that wasn't a good thing in some way. "It almost came as a relief that we then had a couple of seasons where we had less runners in these races." Waller says that with success has come a determination to be seen as an honest, attractive shop window for a sport regarded with scepticism. "We could have a bet, we could provide less transparent information than we do, but what's the point? I want to be here for the long term and want to represent myself properly," he said. "The good thing is integrity is so strong in this game. Anyone who cheats runs a great risk. They get caught and they're gone. I think that is a wonderful thing." He says most trainers of big squads have inadvertent slip-ups, as Waller has from time to time, including a 'bizarre' scenario late last year when one of his horses tested positive to ice. Waller was whacked $30,000 by stewards. "You have to state your innocence, then put on a brave face," he said. In jockey Hugh Bowman, Waller has found an on-track ally and cherished off-track friend. They understand each others' lives. "He and I know what each other is going through and not just with Winx. He's so cool, calm and collected, beyond explanation," he said. "I rang him last Sunday - which I really never do - and asked him what he was up to. He said he was wandering through Coogee with his kids, looking for ice creams. "I said 'Mate a lot's changed. Two or three years ago we'd have been looking for a beer garden somewhere on a Sunday."
Waller says he barely drinks these days, maybe a beer or a glass of red after an exhausting day. He makes sure he sleeps six hours a night. "Seven is like being on holiday," he said. He works ridiculous hours - trapped in that career 'cage' - but Sunday is sacred. The loves of his life are wife Stephanie - my 'dream wife' - and young kids, Tyler and Nikita. "Without Stephanie I really don't think I could handle it," he said. There is another great love but it's a temporary fling. Winx will be gone in a blink - that bittersweet day that is edging closer - but until then there is a career twilight to be thought-out and executed. Barring disaster, Winx will win her third Cox Plate in a canter, then contest the Emirates Stakes at Flemington a fortnight later 'so long as she pulls up ok'. Waller realises Winx will never have the unbeaten allure of Black Caviar but says he can tick one of that mare's boxes, by winning overseas. The logistics will be difficult. She has been entered for the Japan Cup in November 'but only as a back-up if something goes wrong'. Waller says the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot next June appears the right race, possibly via the Dubai Duty Free in March. Winx might campaign exclusively in Sydney first, or even Melbourne via the Orr and Futurity Stakes. "I spoke to John Singleton, who ran Strawberry Road in an Arc, and he said 'You're gonna have to shut up shop for six months because you're going to have to properly campaign her over there'. "I've considered all sorts of things, even putting her in the care of a Peter Moody or Aidan O'Brien because there's no way I can shut up shop in Sydney." First, however, comes Saturday. For Chris Waller, it can't come soon enough. On Sunday, if he's still in town, the famous trainer of the famous horse may even take a stroll through the mall. video preview Click on the image to the left to watch this week s video update with plenty of valuable insights into our runners this weekend from Charlie and Chris. Bubbles n troubles Diminish Exoplanet Sure Knee Word For Word RECENTLY NAMED HORSES Name Breeding Hinchinbrook - Riverina filly Fastnet Rock - Action Annie filly Snitzel - Awesome Planet filly Snitzel - Shawnee Girl filly So You Think - Wordplay filly
13 th October 2017 Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale 30 th October 2017 Our annual sojourn to England is fast approaching where we will secure another group of tried horses from the Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale. This year marks our 10 th year of traveling to the northern hemisphere and we have achieved more success than I ever expected during this time. Our team are currently in the United Kingdom making preparations for the sale and I am eagerly awaiting the sale as I look to add some depth and quality to our already strong middle distance and staying ranks here in Australia. This year will be no different to the previous as we identify horses that can perform in Saturday class racing in Australia. History has proven that a number of these continue to improve and go through to Group level racing but my recommendation to all of those looking to invest this year is the same as every other and that is to ensure you spread some risk within the confines of your budget. This will give you the best chance of achieving success and by spreading your shares around a number of horses you will enjoy more racing and more winners. The benefit of having a base at the Gold Coast and Flemington outside of our primary stable at Rosehill means we can take advantage of the varying races available for these horses and ensure each individuals earning capacity is met. Prizemoney in NSW and Victoria in particular is extremely strong and as we continue to see, the depth of these races is somewhat lower than is seen over the sprinting trips. Given the demand for shares is high we will ensure everyone is accommodated, however we do require a commitment from you prior to the sale commencing. To secure your investment in our 2017 imports, please call 02 9760 5700 or email liam@cwallerracing.com prior to October 25 th and let us know what level of investment you would like to make. We will contact interested parties closer to the time with our strategy ahead of the sale and then look forward to putting together the partnerships to race thereafter. As always, we will always to do what we can to cater for your preferences. Yours Sincerely, Chris Waller Chris Waller Racing Pty Ltd Ph: 02 9760 5700 Fax: 02 9682 6603 PO Box 3069, North Parramatta, NSW 1750 Australia
Brand Winx big business as Black Caviar crew guide mare s owners in corporate world Team Winx is big business for the top end of town, so much so that the popularity of Chris Waller and Hugh Bowman is now rivalling the marketability of some NRL and cricket stars on the back of their horse's soaring fame. Just months after Winx's owners sounded out Black Caviar's managing owner Neil Werrett to help guide their mare's burgeoning brand, a western Sydney car dealership is cashing in on a shrewd partnership with the trainer and jockey behind world racing's most recognisable horse. Corporate support for individual trainers and jockeys outside of the horse racing industry itself is almost unheard of in the sport of kings, which has traditionally been strangled for mainstream media prominence outside of a few weeks in spring. But Mercedes-Benz Parramatta counts Waller and Bowman as long-term ambassadors the trainer has been involved with them for more than two years and hopped on the Winx wave shortly after the two-time Cox Plate winner started out on her remarkable 21-race winning streak. We are very, very careful about who we partner with, Mercedes-Benz Parramatta s dealer principal Meon Nehrybecki said. We re very much aligned with the Waller phenomenon. Just from the point of view of his professionalism and we like to think we re at the top of our game as a Mercedes-Benz dealership and we ve partnered with a horse trainer at the top of their game. To have Winx to boot was just the icing on the cake. We ve got a few high-profile ambassadors, but the one they re talking about at the moment is Chris and the phenomenon of Winx.
I was talking to my son who is not into horse racing and I might say, Winx is running this weekend, and he might say, Dad, you know what? My friends at school talk about Winx. For what Winx has done for this industry is absolutely unbelievable. My son is not a bettor or been into horse racing in his life and for him to talk about it with friends in his circle is incredible. Nehrybecki s introduction to Waller came through jockey Tommy Berry, who spoke at a raceday function Nehrybecki was attending and was so impressed with the rider he later inked a deal to sponsor him. And it was through Berry he met Waller, which later extended to Bowman, and while Australia s leading group 1 trainer has carefully plotted the career of Winx he has swapped business ideas with Nehrybecki, who took a punt on throwing corporate support into athletes who rarely benefit from it. It makes people sit up and look, Waller said. Fortunately we were attracted to them. It has been good to talk to them about racing and getting their view. It is close to a Formula 1 sport, horse racing. It is a high performance sport and that s why the partnership works. And while Winx s trainer and jockey may be breaking new ground off the track, the mare s owners have only in recent months waded into the murky world of managing her brand. They have ploughed their own money into a website designed to tell the stories of the people behind the scenes involved with Winx from her strapper and farrier to the truck driver as well as a platform for fans to share their own photos of the horse. We did it to try to battle against other people trying to make ends meet out of her, part-owner Peter Tighe said. It was getting a bit untidy as far as everyone wanting to get involved. We ve spoken to Neil Werrett. We own shares in horses with him and we bounced a few things off him with Black Caviar, what they did and what they would do differently. They were the test case and did what they thought would be right. If they had their time over again they would have changed their time over to do things differently. He s been really good, Neil. Despite having Winx s website and official social media platforms opened just two months ago, her Facebook following has already garnered 10,000 fans, while her Twitter following is closing in on 3000. - Adam Pengilly, Sydney Morning Herald.
JOHNSTON BACKS WINX TO EQUAL KINGSTON TOWN S MIGHTY FEAT WINX is as good as Kingston Town and deserves a third successive Cox Plate win. This was the declaration from Kingston Town s biggest admirer, regular rider Miracle Malcolm Johnston, who has been moved to rate Winx on a par with the legendary former champion. Winx is as good as The King and it doesn t hurt me to say that, Johnston said. I love the black horse and I never thought I would see his equal again but I m sick of beating around the bush Winx can t do any more than she has done. She is a freak and she will win her third Cox Plate on Saturday she will blow them away. Johnston said Winx s recent wins in Sydney, when she had to overcome adversity in the Warwick Stakes, Chelmsford Stakes and George Main Stakes, proved to him she deserves to be rated alongside Kingston Town, the only three-time Cox Plate winner (1980-81-82). She did the impossible when she won first-up after missing the start, Johnston said That s when I thought how good is this mare because only the great champions could have won that day. It looked like she had another gut-buster to win the Chelmsford Stakes and the George Main Stakes but then comes to Melbourne and wins the Turnbull Stakes by nearly seven lengths.
She is so tough, you can t hurt her. She has improved every start this spring, she has been very well managed by Chris Waller, ridden by the best jockey in the world in Hugh Bowman and she is going to peak for the Cox Plate. We are going to see something special. Bowman, who can become only the second jockey to win three successive Cox Plates, a feat achieved only by Brent Thomson on Family Of Man (1977), So Called (1978) and Dulcify (1979), will be aware rival riders will do everything they can within the rules to conquer Winx. Malcolm Johnston rode Kingston Town in the first of his three Cox Plate wins, in 1980. The pressure Hugh is under is unbelievable, Johnston said. You don t see horses go into a Cox Plate at $1.15 but Hugh is a professional and is one of the best (jockeys) I ve seen. He won t be thinking of what could go wrong. He is a very positive bloke and will be concentrating on Winx s strengths. Johnston said Winx s versatility enabled Bowman to have options on where to settle from barrier six. Winx is so good over any distance, he said. She could be set for The Everest and win it or be trained for the Melbourne Cup and I believe she could win that, too. From barrier six, I would not be surprised if Hugh goes back to keep her out of trouble and then go around them. But it won t matter anyway, she could win this by 100 yards and it will be a privilege to be there to watch her. Malcolm Johnston says Hugh Bowman will have plenty of options on Winx from barrier six. Johnston is synonymous with Kingston Town even though he only rode the Hall of Famer in his first Cox Plate win but the jockey will be part of the winner s ceremony on Saturday. I ve been asked to carry the Cox Plate trophy across the track to the official presentation area, Johnston said. It s a great honour as it acknowledges Kingston Town, too. The day he won the 1980 Cox Plate, I remember it like yesterday. After he worked at Moonee Valley on the Tuesday, I told TJ (Smith) the horse was a certainty because he handled the cambered turns so well. I remember coming to the 500m in the Cox Plate and thinking I only have to press the button and Kingston Town will win by as far as I wanted him to. When he sprinted away in the straight, it was a relief more than anything because he had been labelled a Sydney champion only, which I half-pie took offence to. So, when we got the finishing post I saluted which I never used to do as it was frowned upon those days, but it was to stick it up the Melbourne press as it proved The King; was not just a Sydney champ. I would have loved to have won the next two Cox Plates on the black horse but I am a competitor, I got a couple of suspensions and it wasn t meant to be. I m very proud to be remembered as his rider, just as Hugh Bowman will always be remembered for Winx and their three Cox Plates together. - Ray Thomas, THe Daily Telegraph. WATCH An introduction to Jason Brettle, our Rosehill-based farrier who has been WINX s farrier from the start.
upcoming STABLE RUNNERS Click here to go to the website for more information on our stable runners.
Mortar Platoon celebrations. JS and Kaonic. Thanks to Bradley Photographers, Ross Stevenson and darryl sherer for our weekly photos. www.bradleyphotos.com.au
Libran. Ben on Religify. Japonisme and Richie. Improvise.
Egg Tart and Winx. Libran. Omei Sword and Ben. Improvise. Omei Sword and Ben. Antonio Giuseppe.
Egg Tart. Religify and Ben. Invincibella. Winx. French Emotion.
Tash and Hogmanay. JS and Bezzina. Connor and Wine Bush. Enlightened Boy.
Veladero.