3 days ago
Trainer Chris Waller and jockey James McDonald aiming to end surprising run of outs
So Suave, a brother to champion mare Verry Elleegant, could help Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller snap one of the longest losing streaks of his celebrated career at Kembla Grange on Tuesday.
And superstar jockey James McDonald will be striving to ride his first winner for the Waller stable in a month at Warwick Farm's Wednesday meeting.
Waller has had 79 starters since his last winner, Barbray in a Goulburn maiden 11 days ago, and McDonald hasn't ridden a winner for the trainer since scoring on Regulated Affair at Warwick Farm on May 7.
Usually, Waller and McDonald give the media plenty of story angles because of the sheer dominance of their trainer-jockey partnership which only makes their recent lack of success more remarkable.
But even using the term 'lack of success' is something of a misnomer because the Waller stable broke the $50 million prizemoney barrier for the season over the weekend.
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In fact, Waller has prepared the winners of 228 winners on all tracks this season including a national record-equalling 18 at Group 1 level, and has sewn up his 15th successive Sydney trainer premiership.
McDonald has also had an outstanding season, riding a career-best 20 Group 1 winners including 14 majors in Australia, and is on track for a seventh Sydney premiership in a row.
Waller's recent run of outs doesn't even stretch two weeks but either So Suave or stablemate Ant can end the trainer's losing streak when they clash in the Kembla Grange maiden over 2000m.
Ant, who was narrowly beaten in third place behind Dark Arts at Canterbury last start, is the TAB Fixed Odds favourite at $3.40 with So Suave next in betting at $4.80.
So Suave, a three-year-old gelding by Zed out of Opulence, has been unplaced in his three starts to date but is bred to appreciate getting out to a more suitable 2000m.
His sister, Verry Elleegant, was a mighty stayer and Waller trained her to win 11 Group 1 races including the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, Tancred Stakes and ATC Australian Oaks for more than $14.8 million prizemoney.
So Suave is part-owned by Brae Sokolski of Verry Elleegant fame and is the second-last foal out of the dam, Opulence. The broodmare lost her life after giving birth to a sister to Verry Elleegant in 2022.
Tragically, Verry Elleegant also died due to complications when giving birth to her first foal in Ireland last year.
Then at Warwick Farm on Wednesday, Waller and McDonald team up in all seven races including the superbly-bred two-year-old filly, Ernaux, in the TAB Handicap (1100m).
Ernaux is by champion sire I Am Invincible out of Oakleigh Plate winner Booker and sold for $3 million at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale last year.
SALE DAY SNIPPET: American businessman John Stewart of @rresoluteracing was underbidder on the Pierro x Winx filly today on Day 2 of #InglisEaster but he made sure he secured the second-top lot â€' this beautiful I Am Invincible x Booker filly of @CoolmoreAus â€' for $3m.
— Inglis (@inglis_sales) April 8, 2024
She is resuming at Warwick Farm after finishing a close fourth on debut behind Wootton Lass at Kensington in late March.
Central Coast, who makes his debut in the Arrowfield Plate (1100m).
Central Coast, also a 2024 Inglis Easter Sale graduate, cost $1.4 million as a yearling and is by Coolmore's sire sensation Wootton Bassett out of three-time Group 1 winner Sunlight.
