Former champion jockey Darren Beadman is in awe of trainer Chris Waller after the victory of Birdman at Caulfield.
Birdman registered his second Group 1 win when taking out the Underwood Stakes (1800m) on Saturday, a victory that saw the galloper shorten into second favourite for the Cox Plate (2000m) at Flemington on October 24.
Waller has taken Birdman through his grades, and the gelding had not won at the highest level until his victory in the Doomben Cup (2000m) in May.
Now the Cox Plate awaits after Birdman circled the field to land the prize on Saturday.
Ridden by Ben Melham, Birdman ($6) comfortably ran past the $2.25 favourite Cosmic Crusader to score a 1-¾ length win with outsider Attrition ($101) a further 2-¼ lengths away in third place.
Birdman pleased the Waller team with his first-up sixth in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 29.
The gelding was an acceptor for the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington last Saturday, but Waller elected to hold Birdman back a week and instead gave the gelding a jump-out over 1000m at Flemington last week.
BIRDMAN WINS THE UNDERWOOD 🦅@BMelham @Cwallerracing pic.twitter.com/qURnOhWJUI
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 19, 2026
“Chris just gets the timing perfectly right when it comes to placing these horses, knowing when to put the acid on them,” Beadman said.
“He ran in a nice lead-up race in the Memsie, into this, and before Ben went out, he said they are going to pair up very quickly.
“He said ‘I could be box set’, but he backed his judgement, got on the back of Willie Pike (Cosmic Crusader). He dragged him into the race perfectly.
“He was the fresh horse on the scene. He stood up to be counted today and it was a great ride by Benny and a great effort by the Melbourne staff.”
Beaten earlier in the year in the Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington, Beadman said Birdman was a stronger version now.
“The 2000 metres at Flemington looks made to order in a sense,” Beadman said.
“I think he’s a better mile-and-a-quarter horse than he is a 2400-metre horse.
“Keep the freshness in his legs and he’s got that acceleration. We’ll leave that to the master trainer. He’s been there plenty of time and he knows what it takes.”
Waller is no stranger to Cox Plate success, winning six of the last 11 runnings of the race.
Beadman said the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 3 was Birdman’s next likely assignment.
Melham said Birdman had been a revelation with his last campaign.
“He really found his niche last time in and put the writing on the wall first-up,” Melham said.
“I gave him a squeeze just to pick him up and he picked him up quickly. He got there too soon and it’s not his go as he had a good look around, but he won with a bit in hand, so I think he’s a good 2000-metre horse now.
“He’s in the right barn, they know what they’re doing with him, and they’ve got him flying.”
