Chris Waller may have Buckaroo as the market elect in Saturday’s Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast, but the champion trainer is wary of declaring a clear standout among his quartet of runners.
Joining Buckaroo in the race are stablemates Lindermann, Militarize and Kovalica, all of whom Waller believes have claims to victory in the $500,000 feature.
“If we just had one runner in the race, I’d be talking up their chances of winning the race,” Waller said.
“They’re just happy boys. Give them a trip away and it’s like a holiday for them, a change of scenery.”
Buckaroo and Lindermann both ran in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) last month, finishing seventh and fourth respectively behind the star mare Via Sistina. Despite drawing wide on Saturday, Waller remains confident with jockeys James McDonald (Buckaroo) and Nash Rawiller (Lindermann) in the saddle.
“They’ve got good jockeys on now so it’s their problem, not mine,” he said.
“The horses are both very well. They’re thriving up there. Buckaroo is third-up and ready to peak and Lindermann has been running against the right horses. He goes forward anyway so the barrier isn’t a huge concern.”
Kovalica enters the race third-up and is on a similar preparation path to Buckaroo, with the Doomben Cup firmly in mind. Militarize also lines up following an unplaced effort in the Doncaster Mile (1600m), a race that Kovalica contested as well.
“It showed us he is close to finding peak form and he didn’t get a lot of luck that day,” Waller said of Militarize.
“He needed the first two runs. We hadn’t seen it at home, his attitude had been great, but I just think he’d had a long time off and like a footy player, they need a bit of seasoning.”
Waller expects all four runners to push on to the Doomben Cup, where they will be joined by Osipenko, who turned in a strong performance at Hawkesbury last start.
Early markets list Buckaroo at $3.20 for the Hollindale, followed by Lindermann ($5), Militarize ($14), and Kovalica at $19. Those looking to place a bet on the race can explore offers and odds on our recommended betting sites.