Race only had one non-Waller runner … and it won

The only horse in the race not trained by Chris Waller sensationally managed to keep seven of the champion trainer’s runners at bay in the opening race at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

Jet, a three-year-old trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, defied the Waller onslaught in the $100,000 Maiden over 1300m, leading all the way under jockey Tim Clark.

The $1 million yearling purchase started the $4 second favourite and narrowly held off Waller’s top seed, Stakes-placed filly Snitzel Miss ($2.30), with $41 bolter Garrix two lengths back in third.

Bott said Jet will take confidence from the win and can race through his grades over the summer months.

“It was a really tough win because he was there to be beaten and I thought he might’ve been at the furlong,” Bott told Sky Thoroughbred Central.

“He really dug deep and kept finding which is always a very encouraging sign.”

“He’s been a later maturer than we initially expected and to be fair to him, he didn’t get the right conditions in the early part of his career.”

“We’ll just try to take him through his grades and he’s open to a lot of improvement off today.”

One of the Waller runners, Ichiban Koji, appeared to falter and make contact with the rail at the 600m mark, dropping apprentice Sienna Grima, who was attended to by paramedics on course.

Jet launches and wins the opener at Warwick Farm! 🚀@clarkyhk and @GaiWaterhouse1-Bott combine! 👏 pic.twitter.com/vKdGDps8RV

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 17, 2025