‘I’m trying to get perfection’: Waller calls for change amid stakes treble
By Craig Kerry
Premier trainer Chris Waller made no apologies for chasing perfection, in Sydney racing and with his team of stars, after headliners Via Sistina and Autumn Glow shone as part of a stakes treble at a Randwick meeting he believed should have been postponed.
The nation’s best galloper, Via Sistina, claimed the first group 1 of the season, the $1 million Winx Stakes (1400m), after Autumn Glow maintained her unbeaten record with victory in the group 3 Toy Show Quality (1100m). Top jockey James McDonald produced gun rides on both then made it a treble for the combination with Lazzura in the group 3 Show Country Quality (1200m).
James McDonald takes Via Sistina to victory in the Winx Stakes.Credit: Getty Images
Waller was concerned about resuming his stars on the heavy 10 track, which was drenched with more than 200mm of rain over the previous week. He made public on Friday his preference for the meeting to be pushed back to Monday or Wednesday.
Racing NSW stewards and Australian Turf Club officials inspected the track about 5.30am and took feedback from jockey Kerrin McEvoy after a gallop before deeming it safe to race on.
Waller, who scratched Fangirl from the Winx Stakes, caused a stir soon after on Sky Racing radio, saying: “I don’t think they should be running today. I think it’s too wet. It’s not a roulette wheel, but that’s how we seem to be treating racing at the moment.
“But we’ve just got such good prizemoney, and it’s got to come from somewhere, and that is wagering, and unfortunately the betting turnover drops off Sundays, Mondays, so apparently it just would have been unfinancial to run on those days. But it’s a shame.”
Four-year-old Autumn Glow, the Epsom Handicap favourite which looks set to next race in the Theo Marks Stakes, overhauled Gangsta Granny by a half-length in the Toy Show. Eight-year-old Via Sistina then went back-to-back in the Winx Stakes, holding off stablemate Aeliana by a neck, for a ninth group 1 in Australia. Lazzura then swept past With Your Blessing in the Show County for a one and a half-lengths win.
Waller was full of praise for the ATC track staff for preparing Saturday’s surface, but he still believed changes needed to be made.
“The way the track has recovered from where it was, it’s unbelievable,” Waller said after Autumn Glow’s win.
“That’s what I said this morning, they are doing a great job, but tomorrow the track will be perfect. It’s one day away from being perfect. I’m trying to get perfection and change people’s thinking.”
Waller believed Randwick and Rosehill should be rested, and other city tracks used more, during July to help track staff have the premier courses ready for the spring.
Trainer Chris Waller and jockey James McDonald after the Winx Stakes.Credit: Getty Images
“I get it’s all about wagering, but we’ve got to factor that into our budgets. We’ve got to take a hit,” he said.
“It’s not a roulette wheel, they can’t just go around every day, every Saturday. You have to rest tracks, and it’s great that this track had a rest two weeks ago, but we’ve got to be fair to the horses racing in two, four, six weeks’ time, and then I think it’s seven, eight, nine. That’s where I’m coming from. Just respecting grass doesn’t grow in July.
“Flemington doesn’t race a month before Cup week, Caulfield won’t do it before their big meeting. No track does. We’ve got to respect we’ve only got two tracks that we race on, and we can’t do it.”
Waller was emotional about Via Sistina’s successful defence in the Winx Stakes, a race named after his former great. She is on the path to a Cox Plate defence and Aeliana, last year’s ATC Derby winner, made a great weight-for-age debut.
ATC general manager of racecourses Michael Wood said in the morning that the track was safe to race “and with a good day, we’ll certainly get improvement”.
Sunny weather and windy conditions duly arrived and helped the track improve through the day, although it remained a Heavy 10. Racing NSW chief steward Tom Moxon said the track presented in a “very safe state” and it was a credit to the staff.
Jockeys Jason Collett (Signor Tortoni) and Tim Clark (Wuddzz) rode early winners and gave the track the tick of approval. Both said the track benefited from having a break two weeks earlier when the Saturday meeting was washed out.
Widdup takes short view with Hallie
Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup was looking to the 1200m Furious Stakes in two weeks with Savvy Hallie but was cautious about stretching her further after her victory in the group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
Backing from a dominant heavy track 900m super maiden win at Newcastle jus nine days earlier, Savvy Hallie again revelled in the wet conditions under Jay Ford to beat Within The Law by three-quarters of a length.
Widdup said Savvy Hallie would probably line up in the Furious Stakes, but he doubted she would go up in distance beyond that in the Princess Series for 3YO fillies.
“I think she’s probably too brilliant to keep pushing her out further, but she did a good jump, 900 to 1200 today, that’s a pretty good effort,” Widdup said.
Savvy Hallie was second twice in group races last preparation.
“It’s great because they are so valuable,” he said.
Savvy Hallie wins on Saturday.Credit: Getty Images
“The mares are getting as valuable as the colts, so it’s great to win for the connections.
“I thought it was going to be a tough task, nine days … she’s just very genuine and obviously very good.”
Nellie worth the wait for Collett
Jockey Alysha Collett landed her first group race win in Australia with a front-running ride on Annabel and Rob Archibald-trained import Nellie Leylax in the Premier’s Cup (2000m) at Randwick.
Collett, a group 1 winner in her native New Zealand, raced the five-year-old outside leader Hasty Honey before they took over approaching the 300m mark and stole a break for a two and a half-length win from Belvedere Boys in the group 3.
It was Nellie Leylax’s first win in Australia and came at his sixth attempt.
“I think the race today set up perfectly for him,” Collett said.
“He was nice and hard, and fit from those Melbourne runs and I just couldn’t wait to ride this horse.
“I had a sit on him probably three months ago and he thrived on the outside track at Warwick Farm on a wet day, and I knew he was going to get through this pretty comfortably.”
Wuddzz keeps party going for Dwyer
Eight-year-old Wuddzz relished the heavy going at Randwick to produce an impressive finishing burst and give Victorian trainer Henry Dwyer more reason to celebrate.
Dwyer was in England still celebrating a second group 1 victory in that country with Asfoora, which claimed the Nunthorpe Stakes overnight at York, when he gave jockey Tim Clark instructions for Wuddzz’s run in the 2400m benchmark 78 handicap.
“I spoke to Henry and he was overseas celebrating, so he might celebrate a bit longer now,” Clark said.
Clark gave Wuddzz an economical run on the rails near the rear of the field before coming home off a solid tempo to beat Cormac T by just under a length.
Wuddzz ($9 Sportsbet) was second to Casual Connection three starts earlier in an identical race at Randwick on a heavy 9.