Seven runners have stable saddling up for busy day

CHRIS Waller’s Gold Coast stable manager Paul Shailer says the lead-up to tomorrow’s Chairman’s Handicap will be like a drive-through at McDonald’s as he and stable staff race the clock to saddle up seven runners.

The Waller stable had six runners in the same race 12 months ago, when Le Juge emerged triumphant, but the boss ( pictured) was in town to help with the saddling duties.

With COVID-19 restrictions, the number of people Shailer can call on to help isn’t the same as usual.

The eight acceptors shrunk by one with The Lord Mayor not running, but Shailer expects the other seven to line up after they arrived on the Gold Coast yesterday morning.

“It’s a bit of a logistical nightmare and took me a bit to organise, but we’ve had similar numbers in the past. I used to stress about it, but it’s all good now,” Shailer said.

With only a short period of time to saddle all seven runners, the saddling process works like a production line.

“You could describe it as organised chaos. Everyone knows their job,” Shailer said.

“We have a gear list of what all the horses wear, all the strappers have the horses lined up with bridles on, blinkers, tongue tie attached to the bit and as they walk out the tie up stalls we tick off the gear list.

“Before we bring the saddles down we have an order worked out as to which saddle goes on which horse first, they come into the allocated stall and then it’s like a drivethrough at Mcdonald’s.”

As to whether the stable will win the race, Shailer will leave that for the punters to predict.

While most of the runners only arrived from Sydney yesterday, Shailer is more familiar with Le Juge, who has been a long-time flag-bearer of the Gold Coast arm of the stable, and feels the old boy is in good shape to defend his title.

“Coming back from 2400m suits and he gets a nice weight drop,” he said.

Promising two-year-old September Run also arrived yesterday, having overcome difficulties to win at Canterbury ahead of her clash with Gotta Kiss in the Listed Bill Carter Stakes tomorrow.

Another key Waller-trained runner tomorrow is Fiesta in the Helen Coughlan Stakes.