chris waller | Horse Racing Free Tips

Verry Elleegant To Skip Arc For Champions Day

Champion mare Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}), who had been under consideration for the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, will instead target the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. over 12 furlongs at Ascot on Oct. 15.

The 2021 Australian Horse of the Year and 11-time Group 1 winner won the G1 Melbourne Cup in style at Flemington last November, and added the G1 Chipping Norton S. at Randwick two starts later on Feb. 26. She was then second in the G1 Ranvet S. at Rosehill in March and fifth in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. in heavy going at Randwick on Apr. 9.

“After a really good discussion with the ownership group, it has been decided that Verry Elleegant will have a five-week spell and resume pre-training to be prepared first up, for the Winx S.,” announced trainer Chris Waller on Twitter on Wednesday.

“Whilst running her in the Arc would be a dream come true for all of us, we just felt that it would come around too soon to enable her to have a proper spell and be fully prepared in Australia for the assignment. However, a trip to Europe a little later in the spring is still strongly on the cards providing she returns to the form she showed in the spring when dominating the Melbourne Cup.

“A race that we have identified as a prospective target is the 2400-metre Fillies and Mares Group 1 race on Champions Day at Ascot, one of the most prestigious race days in the world and a worthy stage to showcase her talents.”

Waller added of the mare's early-season targets at home, “It is likely that she will have three runs in Australia in the spring, with the Winx S., the Chelmsford, the Kingston Town and the Underwood all being considered prior to the decision being made on a Melbourne Cup defence or a trip to Europe.”

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International Cast Eye Royal Meeting

Entries from nine countries appear on course for the eight Group 1 races at Royal Ascot, headlined by the world's three highest-rated sprinters: Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}) (Australia, 124), Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) (USA, 121) and Home Affairs (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) (Australia, 120). The Australian pair–who may face Golden Pal in the G1 King's Stand S. or contest the G1 Platinum Jubilee S.–are joined by fellow Australian invader Artorius (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) (Anthony & Sam Freedman), set to run on the final day of the meeting.

Last year's G1 Everest winner Nature Strip has annexed eight Group 1 victories, including the G1 T J Smith S. at Randwick Apr. 2. Home Affairs took the G1 Lightning S. at Flemington in February. The race has been a key stepping-stone for Australia's five Royal Ascot winners–Choisir, Takeover Target, Miss Andretti, Scenic Blast and Black Caviar all winning the five-furlong King's Stand.

“We have nominated both Nature Strip and Home Affairs for the King's Stand S. and the Platinum Jubilee S. This is to keep our options open as anything can happen with horses but we should have an exciting Royal Meeting, that is for sure,” said Chris Waller's assistant trainer and racing manager Charlie Duckworth. “Nature Strip has just come back into the stable after a short break following a busy racing preparation, while Home Affairs is back in work and going well. The plan is for both horses to do the majority of their work on home soil prior to travelling to England.”

Standing in the way of the Australian runners in the King's Stand is Golden Pal, sparkling winner of last fall's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. The four-year-old kicked off this season with a win in the G2 Shakertown S. at Keeneland Apr. 9.

“Golden Pal is doing great, he really is,” said trainer Wesley Ward. “It was a powerful performance from him in the Shakertown–but it was a comeback and I really think his next run is going to be something special. He is a once in a lifetime horse–certainly the best I have ever had–and I think he will stamp that with his performance at Ascot if he runs like I am expecting him to.

“Physically, he is an awesome specimen now and mentally he is really coming into his own. I am just so excited to get him back over there.”

Also slated to contest the Royal meeting for Ward, Platinum Jubilee S. contender Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) will bid to join a select group of horses to have won three different Royal Ascot races in successive years. The 4-year-old captured the G2 Queen Mary S. in 2020 and last year was second past the post in the G1 Commonwealth Cup before the placings were reversed due to interference.

“Barbara Banke [owner] and her team are so excited to get Campanelle back over there,” added Ward. “She had a strong performance on her comeback win at Keeneland the other day. If you watch that race against some of the fastest fillies in the country, what she did was pretty impressive.”

Representing Japan in the G1 Prince of Wales's S., G1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner, Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) may accompanied from Japan by fellow Group 1-winning contender Grenadier Guards (Frankel {GB}), who will target the Platinum Jubilee.

Hideaki Fujiwara, trainer of Shahryar, said: “I discussed with the owner [Sunday Racing Co Ltd] about future plans after Shahryar won the Dubai Sheema Classic and we agreed that the next target for Shahryar must be the races with the highest profile in the world. I believe the Prince of Wales's S. is the ideal spot for the horse.”

There are 16 entries representing the USA at today's Group 1 entry stage. Among them is a host of runners trained by Graham Motion (Spendarella (Fr) (Common Grounds {GB}), G1 Coronation S. and Sy Dog (Slumber {GB}) (G1 St James's Palace S.) in addition to Brad Cox (Caravel (Mizzen Mast) (G1 King's Stand S.) or G1 Commonwealth Cup). Christophe Clement, who is responsible for last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), is targeting the Coronation S. The 3-year-old filly is owned by celebrity chef, Bobby Flay.

Clement said, “All options are open for Pizza Bianca after her second at Aqueduct last weekend. I am yet to have a discussion with the owner and suspect we will make a decision in the next two or three weeks. There is another stakes race in four weeks at Pimlico that she could go for and then from there you can go to Ascot. The filly will tell us what she wants to do but at the moment all options are wide open.”

Clement may also be represented by Slipstream (More Than Ready) and stakes winner Derrynane (Quality Road).

“Slipstream is very much on course for the Commonwealth Cup,” he confirmed. “He won [the Listed Palisades S.] impressively at Keeneland in April and I don't think I will run him back before Ascot. This horse has a very good mind and goes on any ground. He is very mature as well having been a good 2-year-old last year. I think he is a good horse.”

“I have also nominated a very fast filly called Derrynane. She is top-class but needs the ground on the firmer side. Similarly with Pizza Bianca, there is a stakes race for her [in the US] in late May and we may go there before deciding about the Commonwealth Cup.”

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Home Affairs To Skip TJ Smith In Favour Of Royal Ascot

Instead of contesting the Apr. 2 G1 T J Smith S. over 1200 metres at Royal Randwick, dual Group 1 winner Home Affairs (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus})), will be freshened for a Northern Hemisphere campaign with his sights set on Royal Ascot, according to a tweet by Chris Waller Racing. A winner of the G2 Silver Slipper S. and third in the G2 Todman S. for trainer Chris Waller, Coolmore, Wynaus, Et. Al as a juvenile, the bay progressed at three to take the G1 Coolmore Stud S. on Oct. 30 and the G1 Lightning S. on Feb. 19, both at Flemington. He exited the G1 Newmarket H. with a ninth on Mar. 12.

“Home Affairs has pulled up bright and well following the Newmarket H., however [he] does have some tightness across his back and hindquarters,” Chris Wall Racing said via Twitter on Tuesday. “We have therefore made the decision that rather than running in the T J Smith, he will have a quiet time over the next two weeks while we concentrate on a Northern Hemisphere campaign including Royal Ascot. We will keep you informed once plans are finalised.”

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Australia: Mackinnon Stakes Day At Flemington

Five hours and 40 minutes after Mackinnon contests the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, a Group 1 race bearing his name – with a bigger purse! – will be run at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse. The $2 million AUD Mackinnon Stakes is the eighth on a Friday night card whose first post is 6:40 p.m. Pacific — offering fans a seamless transition from Day One of the Breeders' Cup. It's rare for a $2 million race to be considered a consolation, but the riches in Australian racing at this time of the year are such that connections of Zaaki could well feel that way. Zaaki was favorite for the $5 million Cox Plate two weeks ago, but was sensationally scratched on race morning with an elevated temperature. The Annabel Neasham-trained gelding, victorious in five of his last six starts, has rebounded quickly and will again carry the weight of public support (3-2) in the Mackinnon.

Zaaki was to have been ridden in the Cox Plate by James McDonald, who watched as another of his regular mounts, Verry Elleegant, finished strongly for third. History shows that “J-Mac” reunited with Verry Elleegant for the mare's triumph in Monday night's Melbourne Cup. The champion jockey is again scheduled to pilot Zaaki in Friday night's Mackinnon, at 1 1/4 miles. This past April, 29-year-old McDonald became the youngest jockey in Australia to record 50 G1 wins. He now chases a 21-year-old record for most wins (nine) during Flemington's four-day “Melbourne Cup Carnival,” which finishes this Friday night – a record held by Brett Prebble, whom McDonald idolized growing up and whom McDonald ironically relegated to runner-up status in the Melbourne Cup (Prebble rode the favorite, Incentivise).

Undoubtedly, the bulk of J-Mac's success has been borne of his association with Chris Waller. In a 17-day span, the all-conquering combination captured Australia's two richest races: The Everest with Nature Strip and Melbourne Cup with Verry Elleegant. For all of Waller's wonderful management of Winx throughout her 33 consecutive wins, the aforementioned double garners greater respect from his peers. Both Nature Strip and Verry Elleegant were notorious as younger horses for being head-strong and untractable. Nature Strip was an enigma, whose raw speed proved almost impossible to harness; Verry Elleegant had as many quirks as the spelling of her name. Each horse has undeniably benefitted from Waller's patient tutelage, as they proved the epitome of professionalism while capturing Australia's two richest prizes – at the polarized distances of six furlongs and two miles. Apart from Waller, the other common denominator is James McDonald.

Fittingly, Nature Strip will make an encore appearance this Friday night, as hot favorite for the G1 VRC Sprint Classic (Race 6). Despite a million-dollar purse, many potential opponents have been scared off by the world's top-ranked turf sprinter. Nature Strip (2-5 favorite) is expected to dominate his eight rivals down Flemington's “Straight Six”-furlongs course.

Just as Day One of the Breeders' Cup is promoted as “Future Stars Friday” with its emphasis on juvenile races, Sydney's Rosehill Racecourse offers an early-season gift for 2-year-olds on Friday night. The Golden Gift (Race 7) is the first million-dollar race for youngsters on the calendar – an extraordinary purse just three months into the new southern hemisphere season.

At first glance, favoritism is strangely placed with a horse who debuted out of the money at 25-1. However, the zig-zag closing rush of Shalatin was impossible to miss. The colt broke from Gate 12 in a field of 13 and came from 12^th position – all the while looking as green as a billiard table. In the Golden Gift, Shalatin (7-2) has drawn better in Gate 5 (and, by pure coincidence, will be program #5). His trainer, Joe Pride, has enjoyed tremendous recent success through the deeds of Eduardo and Private Eye (the latter takes on Zaaki in the Mackinnon Stakes).

The Flemington card will be broadcast on TVG this Friday night (First Post: 9:40 p.m. ET / 6:40 p.m. PT) alongside cards from Rosehill, Eagle Farm and Goulburn. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, DRF Bets and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com.

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