SAND NOV 13 - WALLER ENDS SPRING ON A HIGH

By Taron Clarke | Monday, November 15, 2010

Sandown Hillside, November 13, 2010.
Track - Heavy 8. Rail - True. Penetrometer: 5.48.
Sandown Guineas (Group 2) 3YO Open SW - 1600m.
Time: 1-42.71. 600m Sectional: 38.71. (Carrying 55.5kg).
1 Pressday; 2 Chassis; 3 Bigelow.
Margins: 0.5L x 1.0L.

After enduring a Spring Carnival with little luck, Rosehill trainer Chris Waller struck pay dirt on Saturday when his high quality galloper Pressday made amends for a costly last start defeat with a strong victory to take out the 54th running of the Group 2 Sandown Guineas.

Waller’s top Weight for Age galloper Metal Bender received an automatic three month ban after he suffered a bleeding attack in the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes on VRC Derby Day.

The race before, his high quality colt Pressday had made a mess of the start in the Group 1 Coolmore Stakes over 1200 metres for three year olds.

The colt had been set for the Coolmore Stakes shortly after completing three unbeaten runs over the Brisbane Winter Carnival which culminated with a wonderful victory in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes over 1600 metres.

With regular rider Nash Rawiller on board the son of Domesday, the pair were sent out favourite in a wide open betting market at 4.60.

Pressday was an unknown on the heavily rain affected track. He was also second-up over a mile might have been the reason for the juicy odds about the Waller trained galloper.

Pressday produced a fine effort in the ground to score a half-length victory over the fast finishing Chassis with a length back to the promising Bigelow in third.

Waller will steer clear of the sprinting events after witnessing the feats of Black Caviar and Hay List over the Spring Carnival and will step Pressday up to the Randwick Guineas and Doncaster Handicap in order to add more value to colt’s resume with a view to a stud career in the coming years.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Chris Waller: “It shows you got to have the right horse and a little bit of luck on the day as well which hasn’t really been going our way.

“To the owner’s credit … Tony Muollo … he pressured me into bringing him here and going the extra step, so well done to him.

“It just shows you have got to listen to your owners. They study the horses closely, so well done Tony … good ride Nash … and all the staff have done a great job keeping this horse up.

“It was a big effort going to a mile second-up on wet ground. We had him ready for a sprinting for the Coolmore first up and that was the only race we wanted to win.

“To come this far two weeks later after missing the start. I’ve got to say everyone in Victoria has been very helpful … Peter Moody, Mick Price and Clinton McDonald helps us with a jump out and got his barrier manners back on track so it has worked out well.

“I’d say we’d concentrate on Sydney in the autumn. Races like the Doncaster Handicap … the Randwick Guineas leading into that would be ideal and he is obviously a stallion so we have got to look after his value and keep building that up a bit higher.”

Jockey Nash Rawiller: “He is a serious horse. I had a lot of confidence in him.

“I can’t tell you how devastated I was the other day because we had him primed to win that race and of course he blew the start.

“He was a different horse today. He was really switched on and he probably had that bit of an edge off him and he really got the job done well.

“You never underestimate Chris (Waller) and you certainly don’t underestimate the horse. He’s got really good ability and I am sure he will train on.

“He is very adaptable. I’d have to say he did get through it (the underfoot conditions), but I would have been a lot more confident if it had been a good track here today … but he got through it well and that’s all you can ask.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Pressday): 3.70 out to 5.00 into 4.60.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Goldstone jumped away awkwardly shifted in and made heavy contact with Chasse.

Oui Si Attitude was slow to begin.

A post race veterinary examination of Dance Of The Ocean failed to reveal any abnormalities.

The track was downgraded from Heavy 8 to Heavy 9 at 3.43pm after the running of this race.

More articles