It is like the first day of school or first pre-season trial match as the Chris Waller team appears on Saturday, but Australia’s premier trainer knows that the results are much more important in racing.
There are no report cards on the first day at school, they come much later, and trials don’t count to the ultimate prize in football, but there is money to be won and opinions to be made from day one of any racing preparation.
“You get a nervous feeling and excitement to see them back, especially on the first day,” Waller said. “You know they are going to be judged at every run, so while you’re building to a goal, they need to be ready.”
“You are looking to build the team [from Saturday] and they all are targets down the track.”
Waller will take a trio of sprinting stars to Saturday’s Expressway Stakes with a combined first-up record of 10 wins from 14 starts.
That is unusual for a master trainer, who plans preparation like building blocks that steps up with each run.
Angel Capital is perfect from four first-up efforts, only one for Waller, which the colt won by nearly four lengths.
Joliestar is also a four-time winner resuming with a couple of placings, when slow tempo brought about her downfall.
While Lady Shenandoah has twice won first-up, but her spring campaign started with a luckless second to Headwall in the Concorde Stakes.
“She just had an unlucky campaign last time,” Waller said of Lady Shenandoah. “She deserves to change that around.”
“Sharp horses run well fresh and that’s what all three of these are.”
“They are forward enough, but there are different priorities for each of them.”
“Angel Capital is a colt looking to be stallion, so every run is important, and a Group 2 would look good on his resume.”
Angel Capital still hasn’t ticked the Group 1 box, the opportunity for that will be the Newmarket at Flemington in three weeks’ time, but there is a reason for that target.
“We are looking at Royal Ascot for him, so history tells you need to win down the straight before going there,” Waller said. “You are thinking of those things with nearly every horse.”
“Joliestar has done that already [winning the Newmarket last year] and she could go there [Royal Ascot] as well.”
“She could be back there or in a Canterbury Stakes.”
“Beiwacht is in the Lightning [Stakes] to get that straight track experience with Dubai and Ascot a chance with him. He is very fresh and ready to go.”
Waller has six runners in the Apollo Stakes, led by the unbeaten Autumn Glow, and again each of them have different marks to hit.
“The stayers like River Of Stars, Wootton Verni and Soul Of Spain are starting a campaign for a race like the Tancred Stakes, so the expectation is different at this trip,” Waller said.
“Being unbeaten, Autumn Glow has to be more sharp, because there is an expectation around her. We have done a little more with her.”
“She and Aeliana will have similar programs, but Aeliana has a bit more left in the tank because we know she is at her best at a mile and beyond.”
“It is managing a team, but a team of individuals. What works for one will not work with another one.”
“We will know a lot more about where we are going after the weekend, but it’s still important to win on Saturday.”
