29-05-2025
Waller eyeing 4th Queensland Derby
BRISBANE It has been anything bar a conventional lead-up for Chris Waller's trio of runners in the A$1 million (S$829,000) Group 1 Queensland Derby (2,400m) at Eagle Farm on May 31.
The master trainer has won the race three times, first with Hawkspur in 2013 followed by Kukeracha in 2021 and Kovalica in 2023.
The multiple Sydney champion trainer will again travel to the Sunshine State, sending up leading hope Belle Detelle as well as Imperialist and Existential Bob this year.
Belle Detelle already boasts a famous lineage. She is a three-quarter sister to Waller's 2021 Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant.
The two share the same sire Zed while Verry Elleegant's dam Opulence is the mother of Belle Detelle's dam, Black Lace.
Belle Detelle, whose two wins include the Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2,000m), is aiming to become just the third filly after Riva San (2008) and Dariana (2010) to win the Queensland Derby this century, with Waller preferring the true mile-and-a-half journey over the 2,200m of the Queensland Oaks.
She finished sixth to stablemate Imperialist in the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2,000m) at Doomben on May 17 at her last start.
She was the favourite while Imperialist was unwanted at 60-1, but Waller said that Belle Detelle's run was more than acceptable given the circumstances.
"It was solid, it was a very wet track," said Waller.
"She got a long way back and she finished off well. The barrier draw (is important), whether it's Eagle Farm or Doomben, doesn't matter where you're at."
Unfortunately for connections, Belle Detelle has drawn barrier No. 21, which will come into 17 of 18 if emergencies fail to get a run, with champion jockey James McDonald booked to ride. The pairing combined only once, in the Rough Habit Plate.
While tactics remain a query for Belle Detelle, Waller confirmed Imperialist would be ridden similarly to last start when leading throughout to spring a surprise in the Rough Habit Plate, named after the champion New Zealand galloper, himself a Queensland Derby winner in 1990.
"Imperialist surprised us a little bit. In the Australian Derby, we went back to last and he never made an impact, so we just sort of formed the opinion that he might not stay," said Waller of the Churchill gelding who had shown mixed form in the run-up.
"I asked Tommy Berry after the Rough Habit and he said 'no, he'll get further'. So, (as he was) obviously ridden close to the speed the other day, we'll ride him similarly on Saturday."
The trio is rounded out by last-start Ipswich winner Existential Bob, a two-time victorious Ocean Park gelding whom Waller himself owns alongside wife Stephanie.
"Existential Bob won at Ipswich the other day. He's come up here to run in the Derby and he'll stay," said Waller who has handed the reins to Jason Collett, who was Existential Bob's winning partner at his maiden win at Wyong.
"He's by Ocean Park, he needs to improve but he's in there (with a chance) as well."
At 6-1, Belle Detelle is the second favourite in an open market headed by 4-1 shot Statuario, who ran second to Femminile in the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2,500m) at Morphettville on May 3.
Wife-and-husband training duo Emma-Lee and David Browne are hoping Statuario can go one better in their hunt for a first Group 1 win.
Besides Belle Detelle, the Phillip Stokes-trained and just Yulong-acquired Femminile is one of four fillies in the Queensland Derby, alongside Lindsay Park's Chase Your Dreams and standby starter Eclair Encore who got in following the scratching of Saint Emilion.
Gun Melbourne jockey Blake Shinn had to forfeit the plum ride on Femminile after hurting his left foot in a jumpout on May 26.
As a result, Tim Clark, who was booked on the Ciaron Maher-trained Saint Emilion, will partner Femminile. SKY RACING WORLD
