Future still bright for Triple Honour

Triple Honour is already a Group One winner but trainer Chris Waller believes the best is still ahead of him as he enters his five-year-old season.

The winner of the 2008 Doncaster Handicap as a three-year-old, Triple Honour has struggled to recapture that form and with his constitution.

Waller said keeping Triple Honour at his racing weight had been the hardest task but he believed the gelding was now holding his condition as he should.

“Keeping the weight on him has been the biggest problem,” Waller said.

“He is one of those horses that just doesn’t eat enough.

“But halfway through his last preparation he picked up and was the best he’s been condition wise.

“It’s been an immaturity thing with him and I’ve always thought he would be better as he got older.”

Triple Honour had a chequered time in this year’s Doncaster (1600m) but held on well for eighth, less than two lengths from the winner Vision And Power.

He was unlucky again in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes won by Pompeii Ruler, doing his best work late when 1-1/4 lengths seventh.

Waller took him to Queensland and was pleased with his 2-3/4 lengths fourth in the Doomben Cup won by Scenic Shot.

Waller stepped him up to 2000 metres in the Queen Elizabeth and Doomben Cup but said he believed he was at his best at a mile (1600m).

The trainer has not yet confirmed which direction Triple Honour’s spring campaign will take but has increased his workload in preparation for his return.

“He went three-quarter pace in a gallop on Saturday morning,” Waller said.

“I think he is an ideal 1600 metre horse but haven’t worked out his spring campaign yet.

“He will trial soon and then we will see where we are.”

Triple Honour’s Premiere Stakes win in August was his only victory for the season, but important in the overall tally of the stable’s 61-1/2 winners in Sydney so far this term.

Waller cemented himself as the number three trainer behind Gai Waterhouse and Peter Snowden last season with 42 city victories and holds the same spot this time around.

Article By – www.racingandsports.com.au

Waller gets Beadman back on track

 

MITCHELL Beadman received nothing but praise from his boss Chris Waller yesterday after booting home his first metropolitan winner for the stable at Rosehill.

Waller, who took Beadman, 19, under his wing six months ago after he had spent time with John Hawkes and John O’Shea, has noticed a remarkable improvement in the young jockey’s attitude.

Waller believes the win on Vintedge will help to restore Beadman’s reputation with owners. “There has been a big improvement in his attitude, not just to his work but in general over the past two months,’’ Waller said.

“He is really switched on and focused. He is working hard and really putting in alot of effort with everything he does. I can see it, all my staff are noticing it but the problem is owners don’t really see what goes on behind the scenes. They only see what happens on the track a lot of the time, so I am really happy for him to ride this winner today. The only way apprentices can promote themselves is to ride on race day, and thiswin should go a long way to boosting owners’ confidence in him.’’

Beadman was equally appreciative of Waller for giving him the opportunity and said it was a great feeling to ride his first metropolitan winner for him.

“Chris has been a great supporter of mine for the past two years and been a great mentor since he took me on as an apprentice,’’ he said. He has helped me out and guided me through my issues and I am very grateful for that.’’

Vintedge, backing up for her third race in as many weeks, settled behind the leaders before edging clear in the straight and raced away to score by 3 lengths from Romany Star with Cheap Thrills a further neck away third.

“She did a little work early but then we were able to slot into a nice position,’’ Beadman said. “She travelled well in the run and got out at the right time, and sprinted well at the finish. Chris has done a great job with this filly to get her firing three weeks in a row.’’

Article and Photo by – Daily Telegraph (www.dailytelegraph.com.au)

Word from the wise puts Waller, Beadman on rise

CHRIS WALLER’S phone was buzzing this week and with it came some sound advice.

“I got a text message from Darren Beadman,” Waller recalled yesterday after saddling another Saturday double.

“It said ‘A champion team is better than a team of champions’ and it is exactly right.”

With those words at the forefront of his mind, Waller engaged stable apprentice Mitchell Beadman, Darren’s son, to ride last-start winner Vintedge in yesterday’s Champs Cafe Handicap.

“Mitchell is your normal teenager,” Waller explained. “Only he is the son of a champion jockey and is in the same business. With that comes enormous pressure and expectations.”

Just over two months ago Waller noticed his apprentice was beginning to wander, rides were lacking and his attitude wasn’t right.

“But he has turned himself around,” Waller said.

“I think he took his foot off the accelerator a little bit a couple of months back. And if you want to be a successful apprentice in Sydney you just can’t do that.

“But now he is a different person, refreshed and happy. He is a pleasure to be around, he is getting on good with everybody at the stables. We’ve just got to keep supporting him now.”

Peter Robl had ridden Vintedge to her Randwick win last weekend but Waller did not hesitate in putting Beadman jnr on yesterday, with his two-kilogram claim bringing the filly in on 55 kg.

“Mitch’s claim is going to be great for him over the next couple of months in this quieter time,” Waller said.

“It helped Vintedge today and he did give her a great ride. A few of my owners have questioned me at times as to whether or not I need an apprentice and I feel I do as the industry has been so good to me. I want to give something back.

“And as well as the text message from Darren I also had a good chat with him last week. I told him it was hard getting rides for Mitch, but his advice to me was to start putting Mitch on horses that I have that I think can win.

“Bearing that in mind, I spoke to the owners of Vintedge and they were happy to support Mitch. Not only Mitch but also guys like Jeff Penza and Nathan Cumberland, who do a lot of work for us. It’s all about combining as a team and that’s what we’ve done this season and as a result we’ve had more than 60 winners in town.”

Vintedge ($8) steamed to an easy 3¼ length victory over Romany Star ($20), with Cheap Thrills ($8) a neck away in third. Favoured pair Skytrain ($2.80) and Sainthood ($6 to $4.80) failed to fire.

Waller didn’t have to wait long after Vintedge’s win to make it a double when UK import Voice Coach bolted in by 4¼ lengths in the Harris Farm Handicap.

Runaway Sydney premiership leader Hugh Bowman was seen to advantage on Voice Coach ($7), which accounted for Toulon Bay ($3.80) and Danzibaa ($11).

“We’ve brought back 13 of these UK imports over the last couple of years and Voice Coach is the highest rater of the lot of them,” said Waller, who estimates that “around seven” of the 13 have struck winning form in Sydney.

“Hughie rode him perfectly today and the horse did what we have been expecting him to do. He’s only had the four runs for us and the best is ahead of him.”

Waller’s two-year-olds Stryker and Miss Mushu, both raced by the Ingham family, filled minor placings in their respective races.

Article By – John Schell