![Jason Collett guides Central Europe to a dominant maiden victory, with the Chris Waller-trained colt defeating Why So Hard by 3¼ lengths. [Bradley Photos]](https://betsy.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/2382497.jpg)
A maiden after six starts, Central Europe broke through in the most emphatic manner indicating his first race win most certainly won’t be his last.
With trainer Chris Waller at Flemington for the Cox Plate, Hall of Famer Darren Beadman represented the stable and spoke in glowing terms about Central Europe.
“We obviously thought a lot of the colt early days as a two-year-old running him in the better class two-year-old races,” Beadman said.
“He’s still doing a few of the little things wrong that he needed to be doing right in his early races.
“But the trip down to Melbourne and running in a tough race, the Caulfield Guineas (fourth to Warwoven) has helped him.
“Today, the plan was to keep it very simple in the first half of the race then we had to trust his acceleration and his turn of speed.
“What he did to today was what he has always promised at home.”
Central Europe ($3.40 favourite) unleashed an impressive burst of acceleration from the top of the straight to come from near last and race away from his rivals to win by three-and-a-quarter lengths from Why So Hard ($3.60) with Lafite ($5) one-and-a-quarter lengths away third.
Beadman said the only moment of concern came near the 1000m mark when the pace eased slightly, and Central Europe showed a tendency to over-race.
CENTRAL EUROPE BREAKS HIS MAIDEN IN STYLE 💥
The favourite is dominant in the Callander-Presnell!
@Cwallerracing https://t.co/JfSkwed1KB
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 24, 2026
“He wanted to get on the ‘chewy’ a bit but Jason (Collett, jockey) has beautiful hands and got him back underneath him,” Beadman said.
“He had curled him up like a coiled spring coming into the corner and once he let loose on him he was all class.”
Jason Collett said Central Europe is still learning how to race but when he “executes correctly” then the colt has loads of talent.
“James (McDonald, jockey) spoke to me on Wednesday about him which gave me confidence,” Collett said.
“Even just the way Darren (Beadman) spoke to me about him before the race today filled me with more confidence.
“Everyone knows about the ability he has. He just needs to get it right. This was a good stepping stone.”
Central Europe raced away from his rivals to win easily but the effort of runner-up Why So Hard was also full of promise.
Why So Hard was having only his third career start and did well to rally under pressure and claim second prize.
Michael Hawkes, who trains Why So Hard in partnership with his brother Wayne and their father John, said “it was a superior effort” by their lightly-raced, promising three-year-old.
“He had to work early down the back straight, they didn’t make it easy for him,” Hawkes said.
“He was going to get caught wide and had to use him a little bit to get across.
“Then he got flushed out again and dropped the bit. He is still a ‘baby’ and doesn’t know what he is doing yet, he is doing it on raw talent.
“Look, he got beaten by a seasoned horse and it’s a good horse, but to still run where he did was a very good effort under the circumstances.
“He has gone from 1200m to 1600m, done it from barrier to box, he has run enormous and is going to be better with time – he’s a proper horse!”
