Waller’s blitzkrieg on features
Chris Waller has huge teams heading to the races in both Sydney and Melbourne today and he provided an update on his runners yesterday morning.
Waller has two chances in the Newmarket Handicap, three-year-old colts Zousain and Lean Mean Machine, who will be out to significantly enhance their stud value.
Of Zousain, Waller said: “He has worked very well through the week and I think he is fitter thanks to the run at Caulfield.
“It is easy for the trainer to make excuses, I think there were three or four minor reasons why he didn’t win last start but most importantly I think there are a lot of reasons why he can improve sharply into Saturday’s race.
“He has performed well up the straight before, he will be fitter thanks to the first-up run and there should be genuine speed in a race like this and he should get a nice race having drawn in the middle of the field so there are four noticeable points which I think were against him last start and he is a very talented horse.
“We have Craig Williams aboard and it is great to have Craig aboard, he is a great track walker and will be better for the ride on him first-up and it gave me plenty of confidence after Tuesday morning’s gallop in his post-work analysis.”
Like Zousain, Lean Mean Machine is also by Zoustar, the sire that provided the Coolmore Stud Stakes trifecta down the straight in the spring. “He was good in the Lightning and he has taken good fitness benefit from the run,” Waller said. “His work through the week has been satisfactory
Chris Waller
and he is a very good horse in his own right.”
Waller will saddle-up Shillelagh in the 2000-metre Australian Cup and while she was well beaten by race favourite Alizee in the key lead-up race, she does grow a leg at Flemington having won both the Cantala and Empire Rose Stakes the past two Spring Carnivals. “She has drawn gate 10 of
15 but she loves Flemington and and she will certainly appreciate the
2000-metre distance,” Waller said. Meanwhile, there are two Group 1s in Sydney and a host of key lead-ups to Autumn Carnival features.
Waller will be hoping boom threeyear-old colt The Autumn Sun can continue his winning ways in the G1 Randwick Guineas.
The ex-Darren Weir trained twoyear-old Yes Yes Yes will make his debut for Waller in today’s Todman Stakes, which will determine if he’s a genuine Golden Slipper Chance.