25.09.2008, WALLER HAS HIGH HOPES FOR TRIPLE HONOUR

Trainer Chris Waller believes Triple Honour is peaking for Saturday’s Group One George Main Stakes.

Trainer Chris Waller is relishing the opportunity to see stable star Triple Honour in action on a good track in Saturday’s Group One George Main Stakes at Randwick.

The four-year-old has worked strongly this week and Waller is expecting a vastly-improved performance from Triple Honour after his last-start second to Gallant Tess in the Group Two Chelmsford Stakes over Saturday’s distance of 1600 metres.

The four-year-old has worked strongly this week and Waller is expecting a vastly-improved performance from Triple Honour after his last-start second to Gallant Tess in the Group Two Chelmsford Stakes over Saturday’s distance of 1600 metres.

"He’s done particularly well in his build-up and comes into this race a lot fitter than he was last time out,” Waller said.

"I’m really looking forward to running him on a good track, he has won on a heavy but the good track will ensure that he runs a very strong mile.

"It was probably a bridge too far for him last start, second-up over a mile on heavy going, and he was probably a bit soft for it.”

Waller experimented with removing blinkers from Triple Honour on the advice of jockey Glen Boss for the Chelmsford but they will be back on for the George Main.

Triple Honour has a tendency to hang in during his races and Waller said the gear change was worth a go.

"I certainly don’t regret that we took them off, we needed to try something but now they are back on and I’m expecting them to sharpen him right up,” Waller said.

Triple Honour has won six of his 11 starts including the Group One Doncaster Handicap (1600m) and was only beaten a nose in the Randwick Guineas by Weekend Hussler.

Boss has battled influenza all week and was stood down after riding Hill Stakes winner Fiumicino at Rosehill on Saturday, but bounced back by riding The Astronomer to victory at Canterbury and can’t wait to reunite with Triple Honour.

The three-time Melbourne Cup winning rider, who rode Triple Honour in his Doncaster Handicap triumph, said his mount was the horse to beat on Saturday.

"If he turns up on the day he wins, and he’ll turn up,” Boss said.

"I’d forgive that last run, he was beaten but he was far from disgraced.

"He’s back to a track he loves and he’s racing at weight-for-age, he ticks all the boxes.”

"He’s back to a track he loves and he’s racing at weight-for-age, he ticks all the boxes.”

Triple Honour is currently the second favourite for Saturday week’s Epsom Handicap (1600m) but Waller said his performance on Saturday would determine his path.

"The Epsom remains a possibility but the George Main fits in better if we decide on a run in the Cox Plate, we’ll see what he does on the weekend first,;” Waller said.

The Group One Cox Plate (2040m) is at Moonee Valley on October 25.

25.09.2008, MITCHELL BEADMAN BOUNCES BACK

 Apprentice Mitchell Beadman’s recent move to trainer John O’Shea’s camp has paid quick dividends with the youngster landing a winning double at Canterbury.

The 18-year-old transferred from John Hawkes to O’Shea just two weeks ago.

Beadman scored a race-to-race double for trainer Chris Waller when he guided Hartmann home in the Canterbury Park Event Centre Hcp (1900m).

Earlier he produced a brilliant frontrunning ride to win on Miss Nikki in the opening race of the day, the http://www.theraces.com.au/ Hcp (1550m).

Beadman, who finished third in last season’s Sydney apprentices’ premiership, was delighted with the victory – his first since June at Canterbury when he scored on Cartoon Character.

“It’s great to be back here riding winners and it’s great to do it for Chris too, he’s been a great supporter and I’m glad to repay him like this,” Beadman said.

“Mr Hawkes was very good about the whole switch and I’ve really enjoyed my time with Mr O’Shea, he’s also very good to work for too.”

Meanwhile, three-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Glen Boss didn’t pull any punches in the stewards’ room after his winning ride on the Guy Walter-trained debutant The Astronomer in the Rosehill Gardens Event Centre Hcp (1250m).

Boss had to severely check his mount and at one point was standing in his irons after Nash Rawiller crossed his path on third-placed Central Role near the 800 metres.

Rawiller maintained that the horse took the run and not him, but that didn’t wash with Boss.

“The reason you went in there was that you could see my horse was kicking up,” Boss said.

“It was an unbelievable effort for this horse to win after what happened.”

Rawiller, who is one of leading trainer Gai Waterhouse’s stable riders, was handed a five-meeting suspension by stewards over the incident.

The ban starts on September 30 and Rawiller will be eligible to resume on October 7, meaning he will miss Saturday week’s bumper Randwick meeting featuring four Group Ones – the Epsom Handicap, Metropolitan Handicap, Spring Champion Stakes and Flight Stakes.

Waterhouse’s apprentice Daniel Ganderton also landed himself in trouble with stewards.

He was given a four-meeting careless riding suspension for his ride on Dancing Havana in the Canterbury Park Event Centre Handicap.

It was ruled that Ganderton shifted in near the 1700 metres on the runner-up when insufficiently clear of the winner Hartmann, causing that horse to be checked and lose his running.

Ganderton was outed for four meetings beginning on October 3 and he will be able to resume riding on October 9.