09.12.2008, CRUNCH TIME FOR WALLER’S BELLAGIO WYNN

 

The Christmas Cup at Rosehill will be a pivotal point in Bellagio Wynn’s career with trainer Chris Waller using the 2400-metre race to determine whether his future lies as a stayer.

Bellagio Wynn was successful over 2100 metres in July 2007 and his last win was over 2000 metres in June this year on a heavy track at Randwick.

Waller planned Bellagio Wynn’s early spring campaign around trying to get him into the Epsom Handicap (1600m).

That failed to materialise and in his past three starts he has run second over 1600 metres, third over 2000 metres before finishing unplaced in the Canberra Cup (2000m).

“We are trying to do something different because he has been short of his best this campaign,” Waller said.

“We were looking at the Epsom but then we backed off and freshened him up again.

“I’m not sure whether he is a bit more dour now or a bit older and wiser so we will try him over the 2400 and see if he can stay.

“If not we will back off and start again.

“We know he has plenty of ability.”

Bellagio Wynn was one of 21 entries for Saturday’s Listed feature which was one of the casualties of the 2007 equine influenza outbreak.

There were 13 youngsters nominated for the two-year-old race on the program including the Waller-trained Stryker, a $600,000 yearling owned by the Ingham family.

Waller is not sure if the colt will run or be saved until the week later.

If he does start he will be the first of the horses Waller trains for Bob Ingham’s new operation to race in the famous all cerise colours.

A $600,000 Easter yearling, Stryker is by Group One-winning sprinter Fastnet Rock out of Woodman mare Laetitia who won three races from 1600 metres to 1900 metres.

Stryker has had two eye-catching barrier trials for a win and a close second.

Waller has also taken over the training of expensive colt El Cairo from Newcastle’s Paul Perry.

A $2 million Easter purchase in 2007, El Cairo has one victory from six starts and has been entered for the 1200m Rating 75 Handicap.

03.12.2008, RIM OF FIRE TO GET THE CASH LIKE HIS SISTER AT HAWKESBURY

Brad Waters
Tuesday, 2 December 2008

Vintedge was a winner for Chris Waller last Wednesday and the Gai Waterhouse stable will be hoping their turn will come with Vintedge’s half-brother Rim of Fire in Wednesday’s Stoddart Group Class 1 Handicap (1400m) at Hawkesbury.

Rim of Fire’s first-up run at Kembla Grange on November 15 pleased the stable and Waterhouse’s racing manager Robyn Hartney said that while the effort was good, there was plenty of room for improvement.

“He raced very keenly in his first-up run,” Hartney said.

“Mark (Newnham) said that he had trouble holding him early and although he got beaten, for him to finish off the way he did was very pleasing.

“Hopefully with the run under his belt he can race a bit more generously on Wednesday.”

Rim of Fire is by Testa Rossa out of the Rory’s Jester mare Alternative Edge, formerly a great producer for the Hayes stable with home-breds Youths Edge and Juene’s Edge being city winners in Melbourne and Adelaide.

Alternative Edge is a half sister to the underrated sire Racer’s Edge, a group one winner in the 1996 CF Orr Stakes at Caulfield.

Vintedge is by Flying Spur and became a city winner when successful last Wednesday at Warwick Farm and Rim of Fire has the ability to become a city winner, illustrated by the fact that the gelding defeated the top staying prospect Moatize to win his maiden at Newcastle.

The four-year-old faces a stiff challenge from Hotel of the Stars, an impressive debut winner at Hawkesbury on November 19 and Contortion, a Peter Snowden-trained prospect coming off a solid win at Warwick Farm on November 18.