The battle-hardened Waterford tends to claim successes across his seasons, and Chris Waller has targeted the Hawkesbury Gold Cup as a destination for quite some period.
His most recent win was in the Group 2 Shannon Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill in September, and the seven-year-old remained sidelined after a lacklustre showing upon return in the Doncaster Prelude (1500m) on March 28.
Waller’s deputy trainer Charlie Duckworth revealed that resting Waterford for a month was a strategic choice to bypass major Sydney autumn carnival fixtures and concentrate on the upcoming Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) this Saturday.
“Literally, it was just to wait for Hawkesbury,” Duckworth said.
“He’s had four weeks between runs. He’s had a barrier trial, and he trialled at Hawkesbury.
“He’s more than capable of winning a race like that on his day.”
Waller sends a robust challenge to the Cup with Waterford accompanied by in-form Captain Furai after two straight wins, Osipenko from last year’s placings, Imperialist and Yet He Moves.
Waller controls much of the Clarendon Stakes (1400m) field with five from eight, starring The Autumn Sun’s progeny The Roaring Sun, who ended second to later stakes finisher Seraphox at Warwick Farm on debut this month.
Duckworth rates the colt as having top stakes quality and expects the race to propel him towards Brisbane’s winter carnival.
“Our best two-year-old going there is The Roaring Sun. He was narrowly beaten at Warwick Farm, caught wide the trip,” Duckworth said.
“He is a genuine Group horse, and this is a race Chris has used in the past as a stepping stone (to Queensland).”
The Clarendon Stakes roll of honour features quality gallopers like Zardozi, 2023 winner who proceeded to the VRC Oaks (2500m) victory in the ensuing spring.
Waller has repeatedly leveraged this event successfully for Brisbane campaigns with slower-maturing juveniles, exemplified by Zoustar’s 2013 success followed by the Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Doomben win and runner-up effort in the Group 1 J J Atkins (1600m).
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