One of the biggest challenges with colts is keeping their minds on racing, so the fact Chris Waller has managed to get five of them to the Group 1 Golden Rose is no small feat.
The champion trainer will saddle up Campione D’italia, Tron Bolt, St Gotthard, Stormy Marco and Central Europe in Saturday’s stallion-making race, and says all are well-mannered and focused three-year-olds.
Not only does Waller swear by housing his colts in a separate barn to his fillies and mares, but he says the skill of his staff in keeping them happy and stress-free helps them run to the best of their ability.
“They’re absolute gentlemen,” Waller said of his five Golden Rose contenders.
“I’m going to give my team a wrap because it’s how they handle them, how they ride them, how they look after them. And I think it’s their ability as well, the horses.
“But if they’re not under pressure they’re enjoying life, and they’re not under pressure.”
St Gotthard is the market pick of Waller’s Golden Rose (1400m) squad as a $4 chance after suffering his first defeat in three starts when narrowly beaten by Saturday’s rival Warwoven in the Run To The Rose (1200m).
James McDonald stays aboard, and Waller doesn’t expect the full brother to young stallion Switzerland to have any issue extending beyond 1200m for the first time.
“His first-up run was good. James was very pleased, so that gave us the confidence to press onto this race,” he said.
“The 1400 metres should be no problem. He relaxes well.
“He’s still learning. First-up he did a few little things wrong but once he irons them out, he’s a very good horse.”
Along with Castillo King, St Gotthard is the least experienced runner in the Rosehill feature and while that can impact on race craft, Waller says it can also mean there’s more room for improvement.
“In my opinion, he’s still got upside as well. A lot of the horses he’ll be racing may have plateaued, where he is still on the up,” Waller said.
“So, while I see negatives with inexperience, I see a lot of positive things with him still improving.”
Ten of the past 14 winners have come through the Run To The Rose, but Waller has opted to take a different route with Campione D’italia and Stormy Marco.
The latter was runner-up in the Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) first-up when conceding 5-1/2 kilos to winner Persian Wonder, and Waller could see parallels with the preparation of his 2018 Golden Rose winner The Autumn Sun, who was also beaten at his lead-up run in what was then known as the Stan Fox Stakes (1500m).
“The Autumn Sun came out of that type of race,” Waller pointed out.
“It was a distance he (Stormy Marco) was competitive over and he just peaked on his run with fifty to go with the big weight.”
Waller is chasing his fifth Golden Rose and second in a row after Beiwacht was victorious 12 months ago.
