Go Racing galloper Alward brought his good form north to Sydney on Saturday with another impressive success added to his resume after winning at Flemington a fortnight earlier. Stable-mate Chatelard couldn’t quite keep his unbeaten status intact but was gallant in defeat, as was Awoke who also couldn’t quite hold on for victory on the day.

At Canterbury on Wednesday Estikhraaj recorded his third win on Aussie soil, putting a decent margin on his rivals. Both Estikhraaj and Alward were relatively inexpensive graduates of the Horses in Training Sale with stable bloodstock agent Guy Mulcaster set to secure our next batch of imports from the sale at the end of next month. With the likes of Foreteller, Kelinni, Stand to Gain, Hawk Island, Moriarty and Thubiaan among our long list of successful purchases from there, we’re hoping to unearth some more talent for the stable this year.

Winx fever continues to build on the eve of the Gr.2 Tattersalls Club Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) tomorrow at Randwick. Shooting for her 19th straight win Winx celebrated a milestone in her story this week with her own website going live for fans to follow her on: www.winxhorse.com.au

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

Waller weekly news 01 september 2017

INSIDE THIS ISSUE• WINNERs

• News & photos

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

Alward.

lCHRIS WALLER RACING - WINNERS THIS WEEK

alward5yo G Aqlaam - Sharedah by Pivotal

Having won in impressive fashion at Flemington a couple of weeks prior this former French trained galloper followed up at his first start in NSW when winning at Rosehill on Saturday over 2000m. Hugh Bowman was on board the imported son of Aqlaam and he was content to settle him in mid division in the early stages of this staying contest.

Blake Shinn was on board stablemate Chatelard and he tried to steal the race by making his move early and pinching a few lengths advantage into the home straight but Bowman showed his customary patience as he bided his time until well into the straight and once Alward got clear air he sprinted smartly to get on top of a very game Chatelard close to home. This win will no doubt delight Albert Bosma and the Go Racing team of owners who look to have an exciting staying prospect on their hands.

ESTIKHRAAJ6yo G Dansili - Shimah by Storm Cat

This imported son of Dansili has been a model of consistency since joining the stable and he confirmed his liking for the Canterbury track

Click on the image to the left to watch this week’s video update with plenty of valuable insights into our runners this

weekend from Charlie and Chris!

video preview

Royal Randwick Track Manager Navesh Ramdhani gives an update on track

conditions ahead of Saturday’s racing thanks to the ATC.

track update

when recording another win at the venue on Wednesday over 1900m.

In form hoop Hugh Bowman took the mount and he rode a typically patient race allowing him plenty of time to find his feet at the rear of the eight horse field early on. As they approached the short Canterbury straight Bowman began to make his move and angled towards the outside to come with his challenge and Estikhraaj let down smartly to sprint clear in the closing stages for a comfortable success.

l

Winx helps raise awareness of Jersey Day before chasing 19 in a row

Winx’s trainer Chris Waller was so touched when he heard the story of Nathan Gremmo, he wanted to be involved with Jersey Day.

But there is a reason much closer to home for the champion mare – on an 18-race winning streak – to be used to promote Friday’s charity event.

Winx is the favourite horse of Waller stablehand Maddison Howland, who is waiting for a kidney transplant. The 21-year-old works part-time, often having dialysis in the morning before heading to the stable in the afternoon.

“I used to work full-time, but I have had to cut back,” she said. “I’m waiting to see if a kidney comes up as a match and I’m waiting on seeing a doctor at the moment.

“It is something people don’t realise – this means so much to different people.”

Jersey Day, which raises awareness of organ and tissue donation, was started in memory of 13-year-old Gremmo, who died after being hit by a car. Six of Gremmo’s organs went to people in need.

Waller had a rug made for Winx to support the cause. People are encouraged to wear a football jumper on Friday.

However, it is in his own stable where the champion trainer saw the reality of what organ donation can mean.

“You get the chances to support charities and this is one that touched me when I heard the story of Nathan,” Waller said.

“We have Maddison working for us and she needs a kidney and is waiting to see if a donator will come up.

“It means so much to these people. This was something we could do to help with Jersey Day.”

Winx has been made a $1.06 favourite as she shoots for 19 consecutive wins in the Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.

She will wear earmuffs in the race for the first time in an attempt to focus her after she blew the start in her heart-stopping return win in the Warwick Stakes a fortnight ago.

It has not stopped one punter stepping in and having $63,000 at $1.06 with TAB fixed odds. - Chris Roots, SMH.

HEAD TO THE JERSEY DAY WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION

l

Alward races into Metropolitan favouritism

Imported stayer Alward has racked up back-to-back wins in Australia to join stablemates Antonio Giuseppe and Sayed as the early favourites for the Group One Metropolitan Handicap.

The Irish-bred gelding, who originally raced in France before joining Chris Waller’s operation last September, won second-up at Flemington earlier this month and then finished off impressively to claim the Pacific Boating Handicap (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Waller said pre-race the five-year-old would need to win to remain in contention for the Metropolitan (2400m) as a lightweight chance ,and he delivered by beating stablemate Chatelard by a neck in the Benchmark 82.

Alward then joined Antonio Giuseppe and Sayed as an $8 chance on the TAB futures market for the Metropolitan after shortening from $11.

The Jason Coyle-trained nine-year-old gelding Nat King Cu ($31) was a long neck back in third after tackling 2000m for the first time in his 57-start career.

Waller said Alward would follow the same path Antonio Giuseppe took to last year’s Metropolitan by racing over 2000m a week before the September 30 feature at Randwick.

“Antonio Giuseppe won a 2000-metre race and we backed him up a week later and he ran second in the Metrop,” Waller said.

Sydney’s premier trainer was also impressed with Blake Shinn’s ride on previously unbeaten stablemate Chatelard ($7), who made a break at the 600m but was worn down by $1.65 favourite Alward.

“It was a good run and a nice ride. He’s a tough horse, he got beat but it won’t be the last you see of him.

“He might even get out to 2400 (metres), not in a big race this prep ... next prep,” he said. - AAP Racing

GEARING UP FOR SPRING - antonio giuseppe

Heading into the spring carnival, we give some insight into the campaigns of some of our stable stars.

A son of Melbourne Cup winner Shocking and High Chaparral mare Crystalthecowgirl, Tony and Gianna Muollo’s Antonio Giuseppe had a good start to his campaign a fortnight ago. Having completed two trials, he resumed in the Gr.2 Bob Ingham Warwick Stakes, finishing a creditable fifth, three lengths off stable-star Winx.

Bred in the South Island of New Zealand by Richard Rutherford, Antonio Giuseppe was a $97,500 buy at the Karaka Select Sale, the team secured his half-sister by first season sire Shamexpress (also bred by Richard Rutherford) for $320,000 this year.

The five year old is relatively lightly tried, having had just 14 starts. He started his career in NZ where he raced three times before having his first start for the team in July last year.

Since then he’s won on five occasions and in addition was runner up to Sir John Hawkwood in last year’s Gr.1 Metropolitan Handicap. With a bit of luck he could go one better in the $750,000 feature this year.

Antonio is set to step out tomorrow, second up in the Gr.2 Tattersalls Club Chelmsford Stakes where he has drawn barrier 10 with Tye Angland aboard for the mile feature.All going to plan he we will then step him up over 2000m in the Kingston Town before the 2400m of the Metropolitan on the 30th of September.

WINX WATCH - WHY WINX SHOULD BE WARY AS SHE AIMS TO EXTEND WINNING STREAK IN

THE CHELMSFORD STAKESThe ghosts of legendary champions Ajax and Kingston Town could come back to haunt Winx at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Winx won’t be aware but there are some unnerving similarities with those former champions the mighty mare must overcome to win the Group 2 $250,000 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m).

The superstar of Sydney racing has won 18 races in succession — the same number Ajax had recorded before his winning run came to a shock end.

Ajax was a 40/1 on favourite when beaten by 33/1 outsider Spear Chief in the 1939 Rawson Stakes — the biggest upset in Australian racing history. It was thought the flaxen-maned champion simply had an “off ” day.

But it was an equine traffic jam that ended the great Kingston Town’s 21-race Sydney winning streak in the 1982 Chelmsford Stakes. “The King” was pocketed on the fence and never got clear galloping room before finishing fourth behind Rare Form.

Kingston Town drew barrier three that day, the same barrier position Winx will start from in Saturday’s Chelmsford.

But Kingston Town rebounded from that shock loss and won an unprecedented third successive Cox Plate that spring — a record Winx could equal next month.

Winx is set to start at the shortest odds of her celebrated career in the Chelmsford Stakes with TAB Fixed Odds offering $1.08 about the mighty mare to record her 19th successive win.

This is despite a bet of $63,000 at $1.06 on Winx soon after the final field was declared on Wednesday morning.

Trainer Chris Waller and jockey Hugh Bowman were relaxed and confident after Rosehill trackwork yesterday that Winx has done everything right since her memorable first-up win in the Warwick Stakes two weeks ago.

Winx galloped solo wide out on the Rosehill course proper and although she wasn’t out to make time, she showed that her tough first-up run to win the Warwick Stakes nearly two weeks ago has not taken anything out of her.

Hugh Bowman put Winx through her paces in a gallop at Rosehill on Thursday.

The mighty mare wore the ear muffs in the gallop which she will do tomorrow in an endeavour to ensure she doesn’t become fractious in the barriers and miss the start badly again like she did in the Warwick Stakes.

“Winx is 3-4kg lighter than she was before the Warwick Stakes,’’ said Waller when asked if Winx had improved since her Warwick Stakes. “We gave her a really solid gallop on Tuesday where she was very impressive so this morning was more a maintenance gallop.

We are really pleased with her, she has done everything right since the Warwick Stakes.

WATCH winx’s final hit out on thursday at

rosehillCheck out WINX partnered by Hugh Bowman having their final hitout before the Chelmsford at Rosehill yesterday.Footage courtesy of the ATC.

Winx’s long winning streak has transcended racing, attracting the imagination of sports as evidenced by the large contingent of electronic and print media at Rosehill before sunrise for her trackwork hitout yesterday.

But Winx seemed as calm and nonchalant as her trainer and jockey and certainly wasn’t fazed by the crowd of onlookers, television cameras and flash photography that surrounded her after the gallop. Bowman said he has noticed a change in Winx’s behaviour since the Warwick Stakes.

“She has relaxed a little bit in her demeanour,’’ Bowman said. “She was quite full of herself, jumping around before, but I feel a bit of that nervous energy has left her body.

Hugh Bowman says Winx is more relaxed going into her second run for the campaign. Bowman retains supreme confidence in Winx but revealed his only moment of unease is when the mare is placed in the barriers at the start.

“The only time I’m nervous when I’m on her back is in the barriers because she does have the tendency to be a little bit anxious and although the timing was most inappropriate last start we are hoping that it won’t happen again,’’ Bowman said.

“It’s just a case of Winx being Winx and we’re aware of it and always have been. She knows it’s game time. She is obviously very intelligent so just wants to get on with the job. The best thing I can do is stay relaxed myself and not get too carried away with what we saw last start.’’

Bowman believes the ear muffs will ensure Winx jumps away cleanly on Saturday.

“Winx wears them (ear muffs) all the time, it dulls the sound,’’ Bowman said. “Horses can be sensitive creatures and react to sound. The idea is to help her stay a little more relaxed.’’

Bowman said Winx’s ability to overcome adversity which she demonstrated in the Warwick Stakes was a further example of her champion qualities. The engine in her is unique.

“She can push other horses to their top gear well before she is in her top gear and that’s why she tends to put a big space on her rivals early or midway down the straight because the opposition are already red lining,” Bowman said. “But her manners are that of most good horses, she is very sensible, straightforward and she knows her job.’’

Waller was also asked what makes Winx so good and his reply was disarmingly matter-of-fact: “What makes her fast? Well, her legs move faster than anything else,’’ he said.

“She covers the ground so quickly so I guess the simple answer is that she is fast.

“It’s been well documented that she doesn’t have a long, exuberant stride but she just gets the job done and moves very quickly. We see that in her races from the 400m to the 200m mark, where she just has amazing acceleration.

“Hugh Bowman said after the (Warwick Stakes) that it’s the first time we’ve had her up to top speed so it was good to see she can run-off amazing sectional times. Although it was wind assisted, I don’t think I’ve ever had a horse go that fast.” - Ray Thomas, The Daily Telegraph.

WHAT MAKES WINX SO FAST? IT’S NOT THE SIZE OF HER STRIDE, IT’S THE RATE SHE

CAN PUT IT DOWN Every minute Winx is in full motion she takes 170 strides. That's 30 more than the average racehorse, with each one about seven metres in length.

It's an unusual formula for a champion sprinter, especially when compared to the sport's greats like Black Caviar and Phar Lap, each with a stride length close to 8.5m.

"Many think the horse with a bigger stride will always win," said Dr Graeme Putt, a University of Auckland academic who has studied the science of racehorse success.

But Winx is turning conventional wisdom on its head.

As the champion mare eyes a 19th consecutive win at Royal Randwick this weekend, she has already eclipsed Phar Lap's record of 14 on the trot and is closing in on Black Caviar's all-time mark of 25.

And the secret to her success is all in a freakish stride rate, which can increase in the dying stages of a race as other horses taper off.

As her fatigued rivals push to maintain 12 footfalls every five seconds, Winx can up the pace to 14.

“The extraordinary ability Winx has is her ability to change stride length and frequency at will that her current rivals don’t have,” Dr Putt said.

“This means she can settle or accelerate at any time during a race. I think this makes her unique.”

Dr Putt has published research on both Phar Lap and Black Caviar, examining the mechanics of their winning strides with scientific precision.

Black Caviar was known for her acceleration and instantaneous speed, making her “both massive and the fleetest of sprinters in the equine world,” according to Dr Putt.

At the peak of her career before retiring in April 2013, Black Caviar’s size gave her a stride a full metre-and-a-half longer

than Winx.

Similar mechanics drive the success of Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt in the 100m and 200m sprints, according to Dr Putt.

“Bolt took 41 strides to win the 2008 Olympic Beijing gold in the 100m dash — the others took 43 to 44 strides,” he said.

“He had the larger stride length by about 5 per cent, but that alone did not cause him to win.

“He won because he was able to maintain the same — or maybe only 2-3 per cent less — stride frequency as the losers.”

Winx’s last win took her career earnings over the $13 million barrier, closing in on Makybe Diva’s all-time prizemoney record of $14.52 million.

Equine exercise physiologist Dr David Evans said a champion horse like Winx has several other key qualities which set her apart from her rivals.

“It boils down to her anatomy and physiology, in other words the structure of her heart, her blood system and her muscles,” Dr Evans said.

“She has to be built with the right muscle structure, she has to have the right amount of muscle relative to her body weight and she has to have the right type of muscle fibres.

“So not all muscle fibres are the same and she has to have the right mix of muscle fibres to enable her to sprint.”

But those looking to spot a champion racehorse in the making may find it is very difficult to pick these qualities by sight in a foal.

“Back in the ‘80s there was enthusiasm for taking a biopsy and testing a small amount of muscle, but that didn’t go anywhere because you’re taking a couple of grams of muscle from a 500-kilogram horse.

“So you can’t predict their sprinting ability from a tiny sample of muscle like that.

“Basically the best way to see what they can do is take them to a racetrack and test them over 400 and 600 metres and see what they can do.”

Winx’s ability to turn on speed at will was perhaps never more evident than at her last run in the Warwick Stakes, where she missed the start by five lengths but managed to pull off a dramatic comeback to clinch victory.

Winx caught the lead horse in the shadow of the post to win by barely a nostril in her final stride.

The performance has already drawn comparisons with Phar Lap’s legendary comeback in the 1931 Futurity Stakes at Caulfield.

“Both Phar Lap and Winx were left flat-footed at the start and trailed off by about five lengths,” Dr Putt recalls.

“Phar Lap’s was probably more sensational because he raced hard to catch up and passed some of the tailenders only to get pocketed by other riders.

“His jockey Jim Pike had to drop him back to get out of the pocket so he could come around wide and close on the leaders.

“Phar Lap actually got to the front by about a half-length before the finish line but then had to hold off the others as he fatigued.”

But even having studied the sport’s greatest racehorses, Dr Putt had to concede:

“In some ways Winx’s win would have been more breathtaking for observers at the course because it was only in the last stride that she won,” he said. - Jennifer Browning, abc.net.au

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Take Two For Tom Melbourne Tom Melbourne’s luckless first up showing could see Chris Waller change tact with the seven-year-old with Saturday’s $200,000 Group Two Tramway Stakes (1400m) a fork in the road.

He was a notorious rascal to punters in Melbourne when under the care of Lee Freedman with the penchant to over race, which is part the reason why Waller has sent him out to tackle 1400m again.

“I’m keen to keep some speed in his legs. His first up run was very promising but he looks to me like he still does a few little things wrong so the best way to take him out of the zone where he is too keen is to keep him to the shorter distances,” Waller said.

“It worked well first up and he should have won, obviously Washington Heights was unlucky in the race as well, but I’ll try him again over 1400m and that’ll say whether we target mile to 1800m races or go beyond that.”

The Group One Metropolitan over 2400m was pencilled in as the OTI-owned galloper’s original spring grand final but maybe, just maybe, the Irish import is too brilliant for the longer journey.

“I’m think he is a little bit sharper than that. We often fall into the trap of thinking that because they are European or English that they will stay but it’s not always the case. Horses like a change in their routine and softer training so that could see him thrive over the mile,” Waller offered.

“We’ve got to try to split our horses up because we are strong in the Epsom already. We’ve got up and comers like Foxplay, Egg Tart and Comin’ Through but I also want to avoid Winx in the George Main.

“Maybe the Makybe Diva (at Flemington) and then there is the Hill Stakes. There are so many options over the spring but we’ve got to try to start separating them.”

It’s been three weeks since we saw Tom Melbourne step out at Rosehill, dashing quickly when finally clear only to go down narrowly to Kingsguard.

“He had a quiet week the first week and we’ve stepped his workload up since then. He knew he had a race but his work has been really good in the last two weeks.”

Meanwhile, Waller will also be represented in the race by Mackintosh, who failed to fire in the Stradbroke Handicap the last time we saw him, and the pint-sized McCreery.

“(Mackintosh) only had two weeks off through winter and has been in work for most of the time since the Stradbroke. He should be fairly fit, although he has drawn wide. This time last year he was flying and he ran a close third in the Epsom. He’s not far off that form so he should run well,” Waller said.

“(McCreery) has been a very unlucky horse and is a worthy Group One contender. He’s another candidate for the Epsom. He is a smaller horse so the less weight he has the better.

“He was disappointing in the Epsom last year but was very unlucky in the Cantala and also very unlucky in the Doncaster. He’ll get his chance this spring.” - Brad Gray, Racing NSW.

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• Premium hospitality at Longines Hong Kong International raceday at Sha Tin

• Trackside breakfast with the stars at Sha Tin

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• Carbine Club Lunch

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Click here to go to the website for more information on our stable runners.

upcoming STABLE RUNNERS

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

www.bradleyphotos.com.au

Alward celebrations.

Estikhraaj celebrations.

Jazz and Gresham.

Allon and Stryke Rock.

Aurman Zou.

Elle Lou looking as pretty as a picture.

Warwick Farm-based foreman Andrew Clarken kindly sent in his profile picture for the new CWR website that’s currently under development.

Life Less Ordinary.

Lee on Alward and Nathan on Foxplay.

Obsidian. Auerbach and Kelsey.

win a winx hat

The team’s taking a big risk this week running the photo to the right but having come across this beauty, we

thought whoever can guess who it is in the pic is deserving of a Winx hat.

Email your answer through to karen@cwallerracing.com and the first correct

answer will get a Winx hat posted out to you!

Vanbrugh cut a fine figure at Windsor Park Stud’s stallion parade last weekend. Photo: Sue Schick.