‘HAS LGHR tired of criticising the Chris Waller stable – Saturday in Sydney was a perfect example.
You predicted in a Preview of sorts that Birdman was the one to beat in the Doomben Cup and that you couldn’t understand that not one of his 20 runners at Randwick was favourite. It was suggested that would probably lead to him saddling up multiple winners which also proved correct.
As a punter who prefers to bet on Sydney racing where I am based, I think it’s time to look elsewhere. I accept that he’s a champion trainer – probably the best of all time – but I can’t catch him.
He had three runners in the sixth. I thought the favourite Surf’s Up could win but knew I was in trouble when the big money came for the eventual winner Delichy Boulevard, $19 to $9.5. She had never won 1st-up or at the track or distance and hadn’t saluted for 716 days. Adding insult to injury I then had to listen to the SKY ‘apologists’ advising me that ‘class prevails’.
Deciding not to risk getting it wrong in the next, I backed both Tazima (the well-backed winner) and Rotagilla (7th, which looked to have the better form, so no damage done.
Moving on to Race 8 where the Waller stable had four runners and God’s Window was the obvious one they liked. He arguably should have won first-up but that wide alley made me hesitate. He also hadn’t won for 763 days but believe it or not the heavens on the fence open again for Siena Grima.
By then I had given up and decided to take what I thought was the safer option of Mawjood up in trip in the last. Fortunately I went each-way and did not damage. But guess who wins – Invader Zim, heavily-backed, relishing the wet and sitting wide throughout. For the record he hadn’t won for 664 days but had been unlucky 1st-up and loves it wet.
So for those who don’t believe it backing horses that haven’t won for over a year it was a blackout – Waller gets them again – not that you could really say the majority of his winners weren’t overdue.
