24.09.2008, HONOUR POISED TO UNLEASH

ROSEHILL trainer Chris Waller has sounded a warning: Doncaster winner Triple Honour will bounce back to his best in Saturday’s George Main Stakes at Randwick.

And a start in the Epsom Handicap at the track the following week has not been ruled out, although a dominant George Main victory would result in Triple Honour being sent straight to Melbourne for a crack at the Yalumba Stakes.

“The horse has done great in the stable since he ran second to Gallant Tess in the Chelmsford,” Waller said yesterday, unconcerned about the defeat as an odds-on favourite.

Triple Honour was spelled after the Doncaster win and resumed with a victory in the Premiere Stakes at Rosehill. After consulting jockey Glen Boss, Waller elected to remove the blinkers for the Chelmsford. “The blinkers will be back on the horse in the George Main and I think they will switch him back on,” Waller predicted. “He ran well enough in the Chelmsford and possibly the step up from 1200 metres to 1600m and a few weeks in between runs told over the last bit of that race.

“If he won the George Main really well, he would push on towards the Yalumba and Cox Plate, but if he only just won, or ran second or third, then the Epsom is there for him Saturday week.”

Triple Honour is the likely favourite for the weight-for-age George Main, in which the David Payne-trained and Jeff Lloyd-ridden Gallant Tess again lines up.

Gai Waterhouse will have Ashikaga (Blake Shinn) and Theseo (Nash Rawiller) in the event, while John Hawkes sends around Randwick mile specialist Mentality with Corey Brown to ride.

Boss rode Fiumicino to win the Hill Stakes at Rosehill at the weekend and was stood down following the event when sapped of energy because of the effects of a virus.

Racing NSW chief steward Ray Murrihy said yesterday Boss would need a doctor’s clearance before he could ride this week.

Trainer Anthony Cummings has booked Melbourne jockey Craig Williams to ride his three-year-old Duporth at 49 kilograms in the George Main but the Golden Rose-winning colt is not a certain starter. “He galloped on Saturday morning and ran a pretty good time but I’ll see how he goes this week before I decide on a start in either the George Main or the Stan Fox or no run at all,” said Cummings, who added that Duporth showed no signs of any problems after veterinary tests came back clear last week.

Cummings said his Epsom favourite Raheeb would run a barrier trial at Randwick on Friday, while stablemate and The Metropolitan favourite Red Lord would also have a trial.

The Kevin Moses-prepared Rhyno Chaser, which is favourite for Saturday week’s Spring Champion Stakes, could be a surprise runner in the George Main with 49kg, although Moses is leaning towards starting the horse in the Dulcify Quality instead. Danny Nikolic, who cannot compete at 49kg in the George Main, would ride.

Waller has booked Brown to ride Love And Kisses in the Stan Fox, having elected to miss the Tea Rose Stakes at Rosehill won by Samantha Miss. “After watching Samantha Miss dominate again, I think I pulled the right rein by dodging her,” Waller said.

Waterhouse has Dreamscape in the Stan Fox, while she will also have Bianca (Rawiller) in the Colin Stephen Quality.

Waterhouse’s Frank Packer Plate winner Rockwood (Shinn) resumes in the Bill Ritchie Handicap, and the Epsom-bound Kiloton will contest the same event (Hugh Bowman).

15.09.2008, CERISE BACK IN FASHION

THE Ingham family’s famous all-cerise silks will be back in action at the Rosehill barrier trials today.

It will be the first time they have been worn on a racetrack since Bob Ingham sold his Woodlands racing empire to Sheik Mohammed for $500million in May.

Ingham then spent $18million on 24 yearlings at the Australian Easter Yearling Sales to be trained by Chris Waller and raced by his family.

Two of the 24 horses, a cracking $1.7million Encosta De Lago colt named Speedskater and a $525,000 Fastnet Rock filly called Dalleth, will compete in the two-year-old trial this morning.

Trainer Chris Waller said they were both showing signs of ability but was reluctant to nominate them as possible starters in the Breeders Plate or Gimcrack Stakes - the first black-type juvenile races of the season.

“Obviously they are nice horses, they were expensive yearlings, but I don’t want to place any pressure on them,’’ Waller said. “One thing I have learnt with two-year-olds is to take them one step at a time and let them tell me when they are ready.’’