Waller has top reason to stay
CHAMPION trainer Chris Waller will be chasing his 30th Queensland feature staying race win with a strong hand at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
He trained the first six across the line in the Group 3 Chairman’s Handicap at Doomben two weeks ago and could possibly do so again in the Group 3 Tattersall’s Cup (2400m) this weekend.
Waller has seven acceptors in the race he won with Index Linked in 2016.
He has Le Juge, Shraaoh, Yulong Prince, Black On Gold, Birnham Rocks, Another Dollar and Savacool lining up, although Yulong Prince has also accepted in the Listed Winter Cup at Rosehill on Saturday.
Waller opened a Gold Coast stable three years ago and in that time has won 122 Queensland metropolitan races with about 60 per cent secured in staying events.
He has been a regular visitor to Queensland for the past decade and in that time his horses have won 17 individual feature distance races including the Doomben Cup, Queensland Oaks, Queensland Derby, Rough Habit Plate, The Roses, Brisbane Cup, Queensland Cup and Magic Millions Trophy.
Waller, who has 40 horses in his Gold Coast stables, put a lot of time into analysing the right races for his team.
“There are plenty of staying races for them in Queensland and Sydney and Chris has the knack of sending them in the right direction,” Gold Coast stable manager Paul Shailer said. “It’s a pretty easy trip the highway between Sydney and the Gold Coast so we can alternate the horses.”