Waller nears $20m barrier
SYDNEY’S premier trainer Chris Waller should smash the $20 million prizemoney barrier for the fourth successive season at Randwick today.
Waller needs his runners to earn just $60,000 to achieve the milestone and is well represented with 14 starters at Randwick, plus nine at Kembla Grange and two at Caulfield.
The champion trainer is leading the prizemoney “race” this season although Victorian Darren Weir has prepared the winners of $18.5 million and is putting pressure on Waller.
The final Group 1 race of the Sydney autumn carnival, the Group 1 $2 million Sydney Cup (3200m), could be pivotal to Waller’s hopes of remaining the nation’s leading stakeswinning stable this season.
He will saddle up Who Shot Thebarman, Libran and Kinema in the big race but the trio are all at double-figures odds.
The Weir-trained Big Duke is favourite at $3.50.
Who Shot Thebarman ($14) is the most favoured of Waller’s Cup hopefuls.
The hardy eight-year-old is contesting his fourth successive Sydney Cup, having finished ninth in 2014 behind The Offer, a close second to stablemate Grand Marshal in 2015 before his fourth to Gallante last year.
Some could argue Who Shot Thebarman is actually racing in his “fifth” Sydney Cup because he completed the 3200m in the no-race two weeks ago, albeit without jockey Blake Shinn for most of the distance.
“I went down to see him after the race with (Racing NSW veterinarian) Dr Craig Suann and he was blown away with how fast the horse’s heart rate had come back down to basically a resting heart rate,’’ said Charlie Duckworth, Waller’s stable representative.
“He just said this horse is phenomenally fit which was great to hear.
“Who Shot Thebarman is a real warhorse, he goes into battle for you every start and he is as fit and ready as he will ever be.’’
Libran and Kinema were pulled out of the Sydney Cup no-race two weeks ago.
“We were so very lucky by the no-race call as we were largely unaffected by it,’’ Duckworth said.
Libran finished second as favourite behind to Gallante in the Sydney Cup last year then had an extended break over spring after having a bone chip removed from a joint.
“Chris decided to give Libran the extra time as he is a very nice horse with serious earning potential,’’ Duckworth said.
“He is the forgotten horse of the Cup at a massive price ($17) as we feel he is going every bit as well at home as he was last year.
“It just that the seriously wet tracks have let him down this autumn.”