Waller weekly news 22 December 2016

INSIDE THIS ISSUE• WINNERs

• News, getting to know leigh roche & photos

www.cwallerracing.com | admin@cwallerracing.com | +612 9760 5700

With 2016 almost drawing to a close it’s time to reflect on another year that’s seen the stable go to new heights and celebrate many memorable moments on the track with our staff and owners.

and Chad Leaver at the provincials in Ocean Spray and Law Major at Kembla and a special one yesterday in the Ingham Family’s home-bred Oklahoma Girl. Her mother Shawnee Girl was a much loved mare for the stable and the Ingham family, having raced for over the space of five seasons.

As everyone already knows, there’s no such thing as a day off in racing and it will be business as usual for the team over the Christmas and New Year period however there will be a bit of festive cheer added to the mix with lots of racing on around the country. A big thanks to our staff whose dedication sees them up and about while Santa’s still dropping off presents on Sunday morning!

Finally we’d like to thank everyone for their support over the past year and wish you all your best Christmas yet - let’s hope we can celebrate further with plenty of winners over the next week!

We wish all of our connections the best of luck and a safe weekend!

This week we celebrated three winners, two ridden by stable trackwork riders and jockeys Leigh Roche

Oklahoma Girl.

lCHRIS WALLER RACING - WINNERS THIS WEEK

oklahoma girl3yo F Fastnet Rock - Shawnee Girl by Encosta de Lago

The Ingham Family’s homebred daughter of Fastnet Rock broke her maiden in impressive fashion at Warwick Farm on Wednesday over 1600m.

Brenton Avdulla was in the saddle and he had her prominent throughout, sitting outside the leader. As they approached the home turn she travelled strongly into the lead and quickened away to score impressively at the finish. This was only her fifth raceday appearance and she looks like a promising filly for the future.

WATCH the race replay.

law major5yo G Lawman - Majestic Dancer by Danehill Dancer

This imported son of Lawman has been a model of consistency since joining the stable and he gained a well deserved first Australian victory at Kembla on Saturday when winning over 2000m.

Chad Lever took the mount and he was content to bide his time early on in the small field. He waited until well into the straight to produce Law Major with his challenge and he kept going strongly in the heavy track conditions to score an easy success. Hopefully this will act as a good confidence booster and he can add another victory in the coming weeks.

WATCH the race replay.

ocean spray4yo Fastnet Rock - Mist by Galileo

This daughter of Fastnet Rock was another one that seemed to appreciate the cut in the track at Kembla Grange on Saturday when winning over 1600m.

Thanks to Bradley Photographers and darryl sherer for our weekly photos.

www.bradleyphotos.com.au

Make Sophie and Chris’s day and click on the image to the left to go to this week’s video

update with plenty of valuable insights into our runners this weekend!

video preview

Leigh Roche was on board and he settled her in midfield early on before coming with a well timed run in the straight to score a solid victory in Stan Saric’s colours. This was her second career success to go with three seconds from ten starts.

WATCH the race replay.

Waller hunting rare Millions winChris Waller has never given himself much of a chance to win the Magic Millions Classic, but how his fortunes have changed in a matter of days.

The six-time premier trainer in Sydney can recall only ever having one runner in the two-year-old Magic Millions race, but he said on Tuesday that he might have two runners in 2017 if things fall his way.

On Monday, Not A Single Doubt filly From Within won her second trial after jumping to the front and dominating and Waller said that he had not yet released the brakes on the filly.

"She's pretty good but we haven't let the handbrake off yet and I hope she lets go when we take the handbrake off," Waller said.

"We're cutting it very fine (for the Magic Millions on January 14) but she

will be nominated for Boxing Day at Randwick and also the 31st at Canterbury.

"The fear of running at Randwick on Boxing Day, they don't get as much prizemoney as they do on a Saturday so if she did win there, she might come up short in the prizemoney so we've got to take into consideration.

"But we are looking at the Magic Millions providing she does everything right."

From Within as a yearling.

Waller had a huge team trial on Tuesday at Rosehill and one unraced colt especially surprised him with his speed.

Waller said he thought the So You Think colt D'Argento would take longer to develop but admitted the colt put himself in with a chance of a Magic Millions run with his trial performance.

"We hadn't really identified him as one and this morning, we're still trying to work out whether he was running on fear or has untapped ability," Waller said.

"We'll gallop him early next week and hopefully run him at Canterbury on the 31st which is two weeks out

from the Magic Millions, which keeps the dream alive.

"But he'd have to work well next week to push on."

After Tuesday's trial, Waller said he looked up D'Argento's breeding and was pleasantly surprised that the colt's mother Fullazz won Victoria's first stakes race for two-year-olds - the Debutante Stakes - in 2004.

"That's promising that there's a hint of a two-year-old in him," he noted.

Waller said he was looking for his young team to step up in the New Year as only two horses - Winx and Preferment - won him Group 1 races in 2016.

D’Argento.

"I've got some really nice three-year-olds and two-year-olds for that matter but I am expecting some of the three-year-olds from the spring to really come on this autumn," he said.

"A horse like Omei Sword that ran second in the Golden Rose and then we pulled up stumps. She's going to be a serious contender in the autumn.

"Foxplay, who won a couple of Group 2 races and I think was third or fourth in the Thousand Guineas, she's another.

"A filly that you might not have seen much of yet

Million Dollar Mare Produces Ingham Homebred Winner

A homebred for Ingham Racing, promising Fastnet Rock filly Oklahoma Girl cast off maiden status at Warwick Farm on Wednesday at her first attempt at 1600 metres.

Prepared by Chris Waller, she relished the longer trip to power clear and win by a length and a half at her third run back from a spell and seems a stronger filly this preparation.

Oklahoma Girl is the first winner for stakes-placed Encosta de Lago mare Shawnee Girl (pictured right), who was bought by the Ingham family for $1million at the 2008 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

She came with a big pedigree as a three-quarter sister-in-blood to Group I winning sire Northern Meteor from a prized Gooree Stud family that has also produced Group II winner and sire Smart Missile.

Shawnee Girl has a yearling filly by Snitzel and a filly foal by Exceed and Excel. - Breednet.com.au

in Melbourne is Sezanne, who ran third in the Flight Stakes at basically her first prep.

"A horse like Veladero, who won the Gloaming and ran well in the Spring Champion and the Carbine Club winner Comin' Through are going to be some of our main Guineas horses."

As for the best turf thoroughbred in the world, Waller said Winx was happily re-acquainting herself with stable life after a long break following her second Cox Plate victory.

“She’s probably been back 10 days and she’s going through her three-quarter pace and she’ll be ready to resume on the 11th on February in the Apollo (Stakes),” he said.

“She looks fantastic. We just get blown away every time we see her really. Maybe we’re looking through rose-coloured glasses I’m not sure, but she’s not a bad horse to look at.” - Racing.com

Foxplay.

Waller’s funny rating of Millions bound filly

Never should Chris Waller be described as the grinch around Christmas time.

His two-year-old filly Madame Moustache runs in the Wyong Magic Millions on Thursday, and while he could shirk a question about where she sits in the stable’s two-year-old pecking order, he doesn’t.

“She’s ninth,” he quipps, the response comes with a slight smile. With it, he knows it’s Waller 1, interviewer 0.

There are more serious matters to address regarding the filly and they follow on. Madame Moustache is currently eighth in the order of entry for the Gold Coast Magic Millions on January 14, but she’s far from a certain starter.

“(She’s got to show) that she’s worthy to take up there, we’re not just going to take her up there to make up the numbers. That’s why we haven’t had many numbers in it,” Waller says.

This is true, in fact Fast And Sexy is the only two-year-old Waller has taken to the Gold Coast. She finished sixth to Karuta Queen in 2011.

“When you find the right two-year-old come along, you take them up there, so I want to see Madame Moustache be competitive at Wyong, and see improvement from the run,” he said.

An even trial over the 740m at Randwick, following an eight-week break after her Victory Vein win, suggesting competitive she will be.

“It’d be nice to see her run in the top three at Wyong, and the rider come back and say she’ll improve on that run,” he says.

Her breeding perhaps the other indicator. That Waller Christmas charm reappearing at the mention of her sire Hinchinbrook – the sire of former stable star Press Statement.

“I remember that horse,” he says.

“He was a very good horse, I love Hinchinbrook, I think he’s a very good stallion.”- G1X.com

upcoming STABLE RUNNERS

getting to know leigh rocheThis week our imported, Rosehill-based trackwork rider and jockey Leigh Roche kindly spent some time answering our questions.

“I am 24 years old, and the second jockey to champion Irish trainer Dermot Weld. I began riding when I was 12 years old and went to Dermot Weld when I was 16 as an apprentice.

“I’ve ridden over 200 winners including a number of Group races. I came to Chris Waller’s for the Irish off season to experience the Australian style of racing. I have been lucky enough to ride several winners already during my time here and hope it continues.”

Nickname? Bunty - it’s my Dad’s. Favourite quote? Take your time or do it twice. Favourite part of the job? Riding winners on the big racedays.

Favourite horse? Harzand, he’s an Irish dual Derby winner. (The English and Irish Derbies)

Best horse ever seen? Sea The Stars, he was crowned 2009 European Champion 3 year old colt and 2009 European Horse Of The Year.

Role model? Pat Smullen, he was the Champion Irish jockey eight times.

Favourite food? Chocolate; any shape or form.

Favourite jockey? Ryan Moore, because he is just unbelievable; he’s on another level.

If you could invite two people for dinner, who would you invite? James Corden and Jim Jefferies, they are both comedians.

If you weren’t in racing, what would you have done? I would have been a carpenter.

Event in the world that you would most like to attend? The Oscars, it would be a serious after party.

What would you do with your last $5? I’d flip a coin for another fiver.

Tip for the weekend? Foundation, put your whole house on it.

Thanks to Bradley Photographers and darryl sherer for our weekly photos.

www.bradleyphotos.com.au

Ali and Oklahoma Girl.

Ocean Spray and Leigh.

recently named horsesName Breeding

Asterius Sebring - Valentine Miss coltChinese Wine Pierro - Mingshan fillyKaonic Savabeel - Fast Love coltOmbudsman Reliable Man - Fifth Avenue coltOn Parade Street Cry - Portside coltSasuba Stratum - Bubble Below fillySweet Scandal Sepoy - Bacchanal Woman filly Tangled Snitzel - Bramble Rose colt

Thanks to Bradley Photographers and darryl sherer for our weekly photos.

www.bradleyphotos.com.au

Chad, Law Man and Pardeep.

Umut and Winx getting into the Christmas spirit this week!

Ali and Oklahoma Girl.

Cellarman happy to have a yarn.

Religify having his afternoon swim.

The All Too Hard - Scarlett Lady sleeping and growing.

Highleigh and Narpal.

The headless horseman!