Chris Waller celebrates special win with Amelita
Chris Waller was back in the winner’s stall on a big day with colours he will forever be associated with after Amelita continued her progression with a maiden Stakes win in the Red Roses Stakes at Flemington on Oaks Day.
The three-year-old claimed the $300,000 Group 3 at just her fifth start, and two starts after breaking her maiden at Canterbury on a Wednesday, when the beneficiary of magical James Mcdonald ride in the 1100-metre event.
Amelita is raced by a group headed up by Peter Tighe, meaning she carries the blue and white Magic Bloodstock colours that Winx also raced under, and Waller always gets a kick of seeing them in the winner’s stall.
“It’s very special to me, Peter Tighe and ourselves got a group together and there’s some really nice owners in it,” Waller said.
“People love having runners Cup Week, so if you can find a horse that has got a nice progression forward and can come down here when they’re not burnt out, that’s a big help.”
Winx is most famous for her four Cox Plate wins at Moonee Valley, but she was also a dual winner of the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington.
McDonald weaved a path through the field from the inside barrier aboard the $11 betting app chance to reel in his rivals in the final furlong of the Red Roses Stakes and race away for a three-quarters-of-a-length win over Vestas ($6.50), who nosed out Bridal Waltz ($13) for second placing.
It was McDonald’s sixth win of the Melbourne Cup Carnival after a Derby Day treble and two early wins on Melbourne Cup Day and a fourth Cup Week win for Waller.
Amelita, a daughter of Zoustar’s son Zousain, failed to place in two starts in late-autumn but has come back a much better horse in spring and has Waller excited about what is to come.
“There was enough confidence to down come here with her and pick up a nice race to up her value and most importantly to give her some confidence,” Waller, who celebrated his first win in the Red Roses Stakes, said.
“We see her as a nice filly going forward by Zousain, who I trained – a son of Zoustar, so it’s a bit of a family affair.”
More Racing News
Caulfield Cup winner Duke De Sessa share up for grabs
A share in last month’s Caulfield Cup winner Duke De Sessa is being offered on Inglis Digital. The five percent share is one of the headline lots that form a Halo Racing unreserved reduction, offered on behalf of the late Colin McKenna, who died last month. Also up for grabs is five percent...
Despite rating, 2024 WA Guineas hope high for Andrews
As a three-time champion of the WA Guineas (1600m), top line trainer Trevor Andrews has a good handle on what it takes to win the Group 2 feature. Trevor Andrews will have two bites of the cherry at winning his fourth WA Guineas on Saturday and despite what the market says he...
Sydney form to pay off for trainer Chris Waller
To run or not to run is a question hanging over many stables as a heavy track presents itself at Doomben. The two listed race features – the Recognition Stakes and the Tattersall’s Classic – could yet be impacted by scratchings but it is in another race on the card where...
Cranbourne Cup 2024 wait and see for Maher quartet
The Ciaron Maher stable is still deciding which of their quartet of acceptances it will take up the challenge with in the Listed Cranbourne Cup. Three of the runners in Saturday’s 1600m contest are also among acceptances for the Listed Kilmore Cup (1600m) on Sunday. Nugget, Cosmic Vega and Flash Flood have accepted for Kilmore...
Air of confidence surrounds Maher’s The Gong squad
Big Dance winner Gringotts is the clear top pick of Ciaron Maher’s squad for the $1 million The Gong, but the leading trainer won’t be surprised to see the horse’s biggest threat comes from of a stablemate. Gringotts had three-quarters of a length to spare over barn mate Vivy Air in the Big...
Rey shooting for stars in The Meteorite
From the time two slot races were announced by Southside Racing, the Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock stable knew they wanted to be a part of it. Griffiths was born and bred in the Cranbourne area and was one of the first to establish a barn at the Cranbourne Training...
Dan Morton keeps faith with 2024 Railway Stakes mare
Trainer Dan Morton has shrugged aside Super Smink’s horror barrier draw and still thinks she can win the Group 1 Swan Draught-Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on Saturday. A layer of complexity was added to Super Smink’s Railway Stakes bid after she was handed barrier 18, but Dan Morton is keeping the...
Timing right for Port Lockroy in G1 Railway Stakes bid
He’s one of five interstate raiders and the outsider of the quintet, but co-trainer, Rob Archibald believes there is a sense of timing about Port Lockroy in Saturday’s Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot. Rob Archibald, who shares training duties with Annabel Neasham, says Port Lockroy put himself into Railway Stakes...
Royal task for Gilded Water at local debut
A benchmark race on The Gong undercard will add some Royal flavour to the stand-alone Kembla Grange meeting when a horse owned by His Majesty King Charles III makes his local debut. Four-year-old Gilded Water has been sent to Australia to continue his racing career, having started just four times in the...
Improving trio to fly flag for Godolphin at Kembla Grange
Godolphin doesn’t have a representative in The Gong, but James Cummings is content to rely on a trio of up-and-coming sprinters to carry the stable’s hopes at the stand-alone Kembla Grange meeting. Fleetwood will headline the leading yard’s squad when he resumes in the Group 3 The Warra (1000m), while Pisanello and Restonica contest benchmark...
