Chris Waller has already played a key role in boosting Godolphin’s spring fortunes, having stepped in to secure their Golden Rose triumph earlier in the season, and he will look to continue that partnership in this Saturday’s $400,000 Sandown Guineas at Caulfield.
Waller saddles two runners in the 1600m Group 2, including Burma Star, who carries the famous Godolphin blue, and Written Tycoon colt Pictor, who races in the Yulong green.
The Sandown Guineas is a race with rich history for Sheikh Mohammed’s operation, who dominated it for years with winners including Caymans, Kidnapped, Tatra, Paximadia and Morton’s Fork. Waller has won the race only once — Pressday in 2010 — and hopes to rekindle that success.
“His record is better than mine, so it’s good to link up with him,” Waller said with a laugh.
“I remember we won one once many years ago with a horse called Pressday, but that team’s going great and it’s good to be part of it.”
Earlier this spring, Waller became the first trainer to win a Group 1 with a horse formerly trained by James Cummings when Beiwacht captured the Golden Rose.
Burma Star arrived in Waller’s yard as a winter maiden. He finished second at his first run for the stable before breaking through over 1100m at Warwick Farm on August 20. He backed that up with another second at Rosehill in a benchmark 72 before landing the Listed Springtime Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day — a performance that earned him his shot at the Guineas.
“He’s come through that well, he’s a really neat horse with a great action and is very professional,” Waller said.
“He just goes to sleep in his races and likewise trackwork, so he looks after himself and turns up on raceday.”
Joao Moreira rode Burma Star to his Springtime Stakes win, but Ben Melham takes over on Saturday from barrier three.
Meanwhile, Melham’s wife Jamie will partner Pictor, who finished 1¼ lengths behind Burma Star in the Springtime Stakes and has drawn barrier nine.
Compare odds for the Sandown Guineas at the JHR bookmakers page.
