Waller weekly news 07 july 2017 Racing at Canterbury on Wednesday unearthed another exciting Star Thoroughbreds galloper with Calculated earning some lavish praise from the team and jockey Hugh Bowman. With heart-throb good looks and ability to match this dashing 2yo son of So You Think is an exciting prospect going forward. The Star silks were again to the fore yesterday with Fortensky winning at Hawkesbury while earlier in the week we celebrated the win of Vanell for the Karaka syndicate at Newcastle. This week Chris announced an initiative to recognise and reward strappers in New Zealand with the inaugural Chris Waller Strapper of the Year Award to be presented at the New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards. Chris gave an insightful interview with Love Racing who announced the initiative on their Facebook page this week and is included in the newsletter this week. After a relatively small number of runners last weekend, this weekend we have larger teams stepping out at Flemington, Warwick Farm and Kembla tomorrow plus the one runner at Doomben in Loving Home. 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 Religify. Calculated celebrating with his owners on Wednesday at Canterbury.
l CHRIS WALLER RACING - WINNERS THIS WEEK calculated 2yo C So You Think - Calchris by Commands This striking son of dual Cox Plate winning champion So You Think had made a highly promising start to his racing career and he built on the promise of his debut run last Febuary when returning from a spell to win at Canterbury on Wednesday over 1200m. Hugh Bowman was in the saddle wearing the Star Thoroughbreds silks and he had this handsome colt in mid division early on before angling him towards the outside of runners to issue a challenge as they turned into the short Canterbury straight. Once he balanced up Calculated showed a likeable attitude to knuckle down strongly and get the win even though the tight track and the 1200m distance probably didn t play to his strengths. Bowman was full of praise for this handsome colt post race and feels that he could develop into a high class middle distance three year old. VANELL 3yo G Rip Van Winkle- Elusive Elle by Elusive Quality Having shown plenty of promise at his previous start when runner up this promising Kiwi bred son of Rip Van Winkle scored an impressive maiden success when stepping up to 1600m at Newcastle on Saturday. Lee Magorrian was on board and he rode with plenty of confidence settling in second position early just behind the leader. As they turned into the straight Vanell was still travelling strongly and Magorrian sat quetly until well into the straight before asking him to put the race to bed as stablemate Thai Boxing came with a challenge inside the final furlong. Vanell responded in fine fashion and kept going strongly for a comfortable victory. FORTENSKY 3yo G Love Conquers All - Love s Great by Choisir Racing in the Star Thoroughbreds colours this son of Love Conquers All returned from a spell to score an impressive first up success over 1400m at Hawkesbury on Thursday. Brenton Avdulla was in the saddle and he had Fortensky in a prominent position from the outset in third, close to the rails. As they turned into the home straight Avdulla pushed off the fence and into a challenging position and when asked for maximum effort Fortensky fought on bravely to record a gutsy success and in doing so improving his record to two wins from just seven starts to date. Thanks to racing queensland, Bradley Photographers and darryl sherer for our weekly photos. www.bradleyphotos.com.au
l Bowman confident Calculated has Group one potential I wouldn't imagine he would be winning this year s Cox Plate but it wouldn t surprise me if he gets there in the future. This was the rap Hugh Bowman gave Calculated after his impressive first-up win at Canterbury on Wednesday. The twoyear-old So You Think colt was smashed in betting and held off a late charge from Brave Song to win the TAB Handicap (1200m). He has certainly got what it takes and it would be nice to see him keep developing, Bowman said. He is still immature... and he is certainly a three-year-old type, as his father was, and his father won the Cox Plate as a three-year-old as we all know. I wouldn t imagine he would be winning this year s Cox Plate but it wouldn t surprise me if he gets there in the future. Trainer Chris Waller also predicted a bright future for the Star Thoroughbreds colt and feels he will be better over a mile later on. When you give him a chance to be a horse I think he will really settle down and go to the next level, Waller said. Calculated was the first leg of a treble for Bowman who closed the gap on premiership leader Brenton Avdulla to 3.5 wins with seven meetings to go in the season. - The Daily Telegraph Amovatio entered for Winter Final A former Winter Championship Series Final winner is among the 23 nominations for this year s $150,000 race at Flemington. The Chris Waller-trained Amovatio won the Winter Final two years ago and Sydney s premier trainer has entered the sixyear-old for Saturday s 1600m-race for which he has been given topweight of 60kg. Mike Moroney also has multiple entries with Rhythm To Spare, Loyalty Man and Strike Force who won a heat of the series last start at Sale. The ballot for the race is based on points earned during heats of the series, with a field limit of 16 plus four emergencies. Amovatio and Kenjorwood (58.5kg) are 15th and 16th respectively in the ballot but have the highest weights. Saturday s program features the finals of a host of winter series races in Victoria including the $150,000 Listed All Victorian Sprint Series (1200m) which has attracted 17 nominations. - AAP 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! track update Warwick Farm track manager Mark Jones gives an update on track conditions ahead of Saturday s racing thanks to the ATC.
l CHRIS WALLER TO GIVE BACK TO DEDICATED STRAPPERS For a small country, New Zealand tends to punch above its weight internationally. Thoroughbred trainer Chris Waller is a prime example. Now based in Australia, the winner of six successive Sydney training premierships was kind enough to take time out from from a punishing schedule to talk to Love Racing about his road to success, and a generous pledge to the New Zealand racing industry. Aside from his astonishing premiership record, Chris is probably best known as the trainer of champion mare Winx. Winx, who has not been beaten since April 2015, was rated the third best racehorse in the world last year, the best on turf and the best filly or mare. But Chris hasn't forgotten us or our racing industry and recently announced he'd be funding a new category at this year s New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards. The Chris Waller Strapper of the Year Award will have one finalist from each of the primary regions - northern, central and southern. Employers are responsible for the nominations and each finalist gets $2,500 with a further $2,500 for the winner. Explaining why he chose that particular accolade, he commented There are enormous sacrifices made by people in our industry. Some are not as fortunate as others. The top 20% do very well, the next 30% do OK and the rest can struggle to make ends meet. Regardless, they all work as hard as each other and it s important to be mindful of that. The award is designed to do three things really; to maintain or raise awareness of the job's worth, offer an incentive to attract and retain good people and provide recognition with a meaningful reward." Funded solely by Chris Waller, he's reluctant to focus on that. It's irrelevant. As it progresses, people will see the value. It ll go from strength to strength, capture discussion, and grow tenfold in next 3-4 years. At some point, I reckon it ll get taken over by a corporation or a big stud who recognises its importance, and it ll be worth 10k, which is a big deal for the people who are the backbone of the sport. Chris has also done his own time as a strapper. On leaving school, Chris chose to be a strapper instead of a dairy farmer, which was his father s profession and the life Chris knew well. He remembers the main reason. My family bred and raced a few horses and I d go to race meets once a month with them. It was exciting and a community I wanted more of. I'd gained some experience in stables during school holidays and when I left school I had to decide. Farming would have been more profitable but I just felt I d get better job satisfaction from working with horses. Loving it, Chris worked in the role for ten years before moving into training. "It provided me with so many great times in my life, and amazing people. It s a game everyone can play. It doesn t matter what age, sex, religion or nationality and it s a worldwide sport. Chris vividly recalls the opportunity of travelling to Australia with his boss for the first time, at the impressionable age of 18. "It opened my eyes. I felt incredibly privileged, couldn t wait to get home and tell everyone about it. That first-hand experience informed Chris' decision to dedicate the award to strappers. A lot of strappers don t get noticed and work really hard for long hours. When a strapper has a horse in their care who wins a race, there s a lot of personal satisfaction.
They can t all be looking after Group-1 winners, but they're still working as if they are. Christmas Day, weekends, public holidays, driving to and from work in the dark, it can be a lonely time. A lot of people wouldn t understand just how hard they work. Adding to Chris cause was the immense pleasure he gained from seeing one of his best strappers win the equivalent award in Australia. Such an incredible guy. He arrived from Pakistan on a work permit, and has been here for ten years now. He lost his wife and had no choice but to return his kids back home to be cared for by their aunt. Just about every cent he earns goes back to them, but he remains the nicest, most grateful person you could meet, and so proud of his job and working in the industry. When he accepted the award, there wasn t a dry eye in the house. Chris is well known for attributing his success to his team, and when asked what he believes gives him an edge, he confirms that belief. I rely on good people around me. I ve got over 100 staff now and I see the importance in every single one of them. That s the key - utilising the right people, who have the same passion that I have." He places heavy emphasis on making everyone feel part of a team. When you do that, it's amazing what you can achieve. Ours have set new records. No one is any more important than the other, and you ll see that approach in most leading businesses or sports. Our ten-minute interview slot was fast approaching 30 minutes, yet Chris displayed no sense of urgency. To his credit, we got the sense he would have given us an hour. Speaking in a relaxed and thoughtful manner throughout, it wasn t hard to sense his sincerity regarding the importance of people and teamwork. Continuing, he explained that it had been hard in the past to trust that others will have his degree of care, but he s well past that now. We focused on promoting from within so people already understand our systems, and we know their capabilities. Then, I could feel more confident letting go and not being a complete control freak, he laughs. We ve got simple systems that everyone can follow. There s no need for anyone to blast out orders, everyone just gets on with their job. Observing success is another critical factor in achieving it, Chris claims. I ve seen how people get forgotten, I ve seen things that don t work. As a trainer in such a close network, you get to meet all sorts; royalty, Prime Ministers, business people, and regular hard working folk. You learn from them what leads to success and what doesn t. Regarding his abilities, Chris is resolutely modest, an unlikely person to call himself a horse whisperer. Instead, he remarks I take pride in being a stockman over being a horseman. I can see when an animal is happy or not and we put a lot of effort in, seven days a week, to make sure they are. A horse will do absolutely anything for you if you ve looked after it well and they trust you. It s an emotional sport and that s what keeps stablehands and strappers interested beyond financial return. Like many high achievers, Chris says his biggest driver is fear of failure. Winning his first Group-1 race, with Triple Honour in the Doncaster Mile in 2008, was when he felt things change. I used to think every year was a fluke. When every year just happened to be better than the last, I d always worry about how I could beat that. I always thought I m just a trainer who s fumbling my way through a career in which others are clearly better than me. I ve never actually said that publicly, but that first Group-1 win gave me the personal confidence and inner strength to back myself, instead of worrying about what other people say or do, or how they train. I thought, I ve got a good enough horse, I can do this. Then, I relaxed and it all just unfolded. Despite Chris' continued good grace, we were three times over our time limit, so with an assurance that he would be making every last effort to be present at the awards, we concluded with one last question; What impact did he think the award would have in the future? "Think ten years down the track, there s going to be ten overall winners and 30 provincial winners, which seems a lot, certainly achievable. The idea is to encourage people to apply themselves and then do so again at a higher level. That'll lead to increased staff satisfaction and retention. Experienced strappers and stablehands offer invaluable skills and the entire industry will benefit." - Love Racing
TREKKING KOKODA TO HELP Chris Waller Racings number one rider Hugh Bowman has linked with fellow riders Kathy O Hara, Corey Brown and Stephen Baster as well as media personality and model Kris Smith to trek KOKODA later this month in support of two wonderful charities, the Mark Hughes Foundation and The National Jockey s Trust. A dedicated website has been setup in support of the walk- www.walking2help.com.au Bruce Clark penned a story (click here) last week on Just Racing outlining the meaning of Kokoda for Hugh and why he is doing the trek. Anyone wanting to make a donation to the Mark Hughes Foundation or the National Jockey s Trust, please go to walking2help.com.au Below are some key statistics about both organisations the team are wanting to help by this Kokoda trek. KEY STATISTICS: Brain cancer statistics: More than 1,600 Australians are diagnosed with brain cancer each year and 1,200 die from it Brain cancer kills more children than any other disease Brain cancer kills more people under 40 than any other cancer Only two out of 10 people survive five years Brain cancer receives less than 5 per cent of government funding for cancer Facts about Jockeys and Australian racing: Since 2000 there have been 17 jockeys who have lost their lives in Australian horse racing. For every rider lost, dozens more jockeys suffer life changing, career ending injuries and illnesses. Since 2004, Trustees of the National Jockeys Trust have approved 312 applications for assistance. The amount of assistance provided to jockeys (past and present) in necessitous circumstances now exceeds $3 million.
Bowman relies on Waller to bridge gap Sydney's leading trainer will have a significant bearing on the next phase of the metropolitan jockey's premiership, as Chris Waller-prepared horses dominate Hugh Bowman's book of rides at Warwick Farm. Having already formed an ominous partnership with super mare Winx, the duo combine again on Saturday as Bowman attempts to make more ground on Brenton Avdulla. Bowman trails Avdulla by 3-1/2 wins but should benefit at Canterbury and Rosehill next week while the latter serves a careless riding suspension. Six of Bowman's seven rides on Saturday for Waller who hopes the ultra-experienced hoop can extract Pioneering ($7) from a slump in the 2YO Handicap (1200m). "She's got a big weight (61kg) and she's out of form so we've decided against claiming and gone for Hugh Bowman's experience," Waller said on his weekly website update. Waller was also banking on Bowman's touch to put four-year-old Sayed ($3.50) in contention for the Benchmark Handicap (2400m) stayers' race, his first time over the distance. "He'll be very hard to beat if Hughie can get him to switch off and settle stepping up to 2400," he said. Bowman has three favourites in early markets, Cosmic Engine, Liapari and the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Spending To Win. Cosmic Engine is aiming for his third win this preparation in a 1400m benchmark despite lugging the joint top weight of 61kg. "He's won them impressively and it'll be a better track on Saturday," Waller said. Waller was cautious about $3.50 favourite Liapari's claims in a Benchmark Handicap (1600m). "He can mix his form a little but I think it's more tempo related. He struggles if they go slow," he said. - AAP
upcoming STABLE RUNNERS Click here to go to the website for more information on our stable runners. VOTE TO NAME THE NEW LIGHT RAIL STOP OUTSIDE RANDWICK The Australian Turf Club is a major supporter of the CBD and South East Light Rail project, which will service Royal Randwick Racecourse and the community surrounds, 365 days a year. One of the light rail stops will be directly adjacent to their main gates on Alison Road, allowing commuters and visitors to easily and efficiently enter the racecourse. Authorities are considering naming the stop Centennial Park. As Royal Randwick Racecourse is a Sydney landmark, with some 184 years of tradition, we believe it makes absolute sense to name the stop Royal Randwick Racecourse. CLICK HERE TO LEND YOUR SUPPORT.
Vanell. Fortensky and Archie. Calculated and Candice. Thanks to Bradley Photographers and darryl sherer for our weekly photos. www.bradleyphotos.com.au
Stuart and Al Mah Haha. Plagiarist. Ali and D Argento. Connor and Blazeray. Colin and Soviet Courage. Malak and Shaolin Kungfu.
Chinese Wine. Ash and Yeah Bravo. McCreery and Sambro pre-training at Kolora Lodge in Queensland. The Zoustar Armanjena called Aurman Zou and the Zoustar Queen Of The Falls at Flemington. Erin on the Fastnet Rock - Action Annie and Troy on the Hinchinbrook - Riverina. Alward.
Lara and Vanell. Impulsive. Keith and Awoke. Mark and Hogmanay