‘I still get nervous’: Inside the trial preparation that creates Waller’s champions

There are more than 20 years that go into the start of Chris Waller’s spring, which the champion trainer labels as crucial.

While punters search for hints for the future in barrier trials, Waller sees it as the preseason of race simulation to get his horses back into the routine that has produced more than 200 Group 1 winners.

“I still get nervous,” Waller told Betsy.

“But when I began, I was nervous if I had a good horse.

“Now I have the good horses, but I get nervous about if I’m getting it right for them.

“Am I getting the preparation right for each horse to let them be at their best first-up.”

The focus is on the right routine for horse like Autumn Glow, Aeliana and Autumn Boy. It is a build toward a return to the track, which is the most significant run of preparation.

There are targets further on, but Waller knows you don’t get there without the right foundations.

“Trials have very little to do with fittest. It is about getting back into the routine and ready for raceday,” Waller shared.

“It’s good for my staff. It’s good for me to get back in routine and, of course, it’s good for the horses.

“The first-up run is so important because it controls where you go. So preparation for it is more important.

“You want them to recover well, and that is part of having them ready.

“If not well prepared first-up and they recover terribly first-up. The second-up run and rest of the prep is gone.”

Waller follows a similar pattern – an easy opening trial then a fortnight later another trial, before generally three weeks into the first run.

It is something he has worked out and developed with every good horse that has been through stable and can’t be replicated.

“If everyone tries to copy what I do it won’t work because I might do different things at home,” Waller said.

“If you copy what I do at trials, it won’t work because you don’t see what I do with them on Sunday on a treadmill or walking during the week. How I feed them.

“It is about doing what works for you and I have worked out what works for me over a long time.

“If I tried to copy Aidan O’Brien it would not work. If Aidan tried to copy me, it wouldn’t work.

“The beauty of getting a bit older is I can relax because I know what works for me.”

There are built-in safeguards to allow from mishaps and injuryin Waller’s process.

“It is pre-season, using race scenarios and injuries can happen,” Waller said.

“Fireball was scratched on Tuesday with a minor temperature. But he was two weeks ahead of schedule. So we can push him back a week.

“I would rather that happen now because I have that room to move.”

‘I like for them to have a think about things’

There is a list of things Waller likes to tick off in his triallers and winning is not on that list.

  “The first trial is getting on the track and having a sweat,” Waller described.

“Getting off the truck, parading, and being a bit exciting.

“Going to the barriers and going through the motives and having that bit of a workout and de-stressing afterwards.

“Going home on the truck and relaxing.

“I like for them to have a think about things, and thinking that was a pretty easy day and I feel good about things.

“Then they eat up and hopefully hold their weight, then it is a couple more gallops before another trial.”

It is interesting Waller likes his good horses to travel to trials. He wants it like raceday and builds on each visit to the track.

“I want them feeling that was pretty easy a couple of weeks ago,” he continued.

“The second trial we ask them to do that little more. They are fitter and handle it better.

“They have a good sweat and feel good.

 “Then the next couple of weeks is doing a bit more at home to tune them up a bit and then raceday comes and they are ready to go.”

‘We’re very confident we’ll still be on track’

Similar Aeliana, who got a leg caught in the back of the barriers on Tuesday, cutting a leg, has time to be ready for her first-up assignment.

Waller was quickly able to assess her and refocus on second barrier trial next week.

“[There is] minimal swelling and she’s sound,” Waller said on Wednesday.

“We, of course, gave her anti-inflammatories after it so that’s masking a little bit of swelling, and masking a little bit of pain.

“I’d say by Friday we’ll be able to say we’re in the clear. You just never know what bruising could be there, but every sign you can see so far is fantastic.

“We’re very confident we’ll still be on track.”