Waller Upbeat About Home Affairs and Nature Strip After Ascot Gallop

Chris Waller, trainer of Home Affairs (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) and Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}), two of the fastest horses in the world, provided an upbeat bulletin on his Royal Ascot hopefuls after they had their first experience of the track on Friday morning. 

Home Affairs is on course to run in the Platinum Jubilee S. while Nature Strip is a leading fancy for the King's Stand S. for Waller, who will forever be remembered for his handling of Australian legend Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) and, more recently, last year's Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}).

Nature Strip, one of the most decorated sprinters in the world with eight Group 1 wins to his name, and Home Affairs, twice successful at the highest level, were reported to have come through their breeze at Ascot racecourse with flying colours, according to the trainer. 

Waller said, “It was pretty much a perfect trip-they had two stopovers, one in Singapore and one in Dubai.

“Collectively they drank 120 litres of water on the flight and I think that's the key for anyone travelling, just making sure they're well hydrated.

“They put on a couple of kilos on the flight but now they're back to their normal weights, so they needed to do a little bit of work this morning.

“Today was their first piece of fast work for two weeks, they just needed a little bit of stimulation and I was pretty happy with what they did.”

A handful of international raiders have based themselves in Newmarket while American handler Wesley Ward has taken his team to Chelmsford racecourse in the build-up to next week's royal meeting.

Waller was full of praise for the facilities in Lambourn, a racing centre more celebrated for its jumps inhabitants, as well as his European training colleagues.

He said, “It's been great, a lovely relaxed environment. It's amazing, the facilities over here, it's awesome-the horses just enjoy themselves and are very relaxed.

“Like a lot of training centres around the world, we train in the city and everything is a rush. There's a lot of horses in a small area, but not here, it's all about the horse and it's no wonder the English, Irish and French turn up so many good winners.”

He added, “You train to your own environment, we know what works in Australia. I have the utmost respect for how hard it must be to train a horse here.

“In particular they've got to have their horses right for six months of the year, we have 12 months to get things right. If you miss a carnival, you've got another one two or three months later – but there's only one Royal Ascot.

“The way the English and Irish trainers, and the French as well, the way they prepare them for their races is quite unique. We have prep runs, we don't get them ready for a 2,000 metre race first time.”

While Winx never made the trip to Ascot that so many fans hoped for, Waller is not a total stranger to Royal Ascot having sent Brazen Beau (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) to race in 2015.

The son of I Am Invincible came close to victory in the then Diamond Jubilee S., finding only the Ward-trained Undrafted (Purim) half a length too good.

Asked what he learnt from his experience with Brazen Beau, Waller said, “That it would be achievable to win a race here one day.

“He ran very well and he was a good Australian sprinter, a young horse with a similar profile to Home Affairs. You've got to have a horse with a good temperament, they've got to be quick, they've got to be able to cope with good tracks or perhaps a bit of rain on the day as well.

“We almost pulled it off, so not much has changed really, we almost got it right and we'll try to get it right this time.”

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Verry Elleegant Joins Graffard for Euro Campaign

G1 Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) will join Francis Graffard in France with a view towards targeting the major races in Europe this season, the connections of the Australian ace have announced.

An 11-time Group 1 winner, Verry Elleegant has netted her connections over £8 million and was described by Chris Waller, the man who managed her glittering career in Australia, as an “honour” to be associated with.

The statement from the ownership group was released on Thursday, and it read, “Being part of a champion racehorse is not just an enormous privilege but also a huge responsibility.

“We take this seriously and in the last couple of weeks have given further thought to what constitutes the right plan for our beautiful mare. We know she's a world-class stayer but we expect her to be weighted out of the Cups and there are limited options for her domestically.

“After much deliberation, we came to the realisation that if we want to campaign her in Europe, we need to do it properly and send her to be trained and prepared in the Northern Hemisphere.”

A tilt at the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is understood to be the main reason for sending Verry Elleegant to Graffard this season.

The statement added, “We're incredibly excited about the journey ahead and showcasing her on the world stage. We know win, lose or draw she'll do us, Australia and of course New Zealand proud.”

Graffard shared his excitement of taking over the training of Verry Elleegant on Twitter.

He said, “It is a huge honour to be entrusted with the 2021 Melbourne Cup winner and Champion race mare Verry Elleegant. I am conscious that I will be standing on the shoulders of a giant in taking her on from Chris Waller, who has done such an impeccable job with her.”

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Setback Rules Addeybb Out Of Australian Trip

Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) will not travel to Australia for next year's Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival after receiving treatment for a blood clot in a hock.

Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's 7-year-old gelding recently spent two weeks in an equine hospital after the clot became infected. He is now back at trainer William Haggas's Newmarket yard and while expected to race next season, he will not be ready for Sydney in March and April, where his targets would have included an attempt at a third straight G1 Queen Elizabeth II S., and a second G1 Ranvet S.-he was runner-up there last year to G1 Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}), who he beat in both his Queen Elizabeth wins. Addeybb is a Group 1 winner domestically, too, having taken the 2020 G1 Champion S.

Haggas said, “He came back home from hospital on Monday. I think and hope he's going to be OK. He's definitely made some improvement but that's going to scupper him [going to Australia]. He won't be able to leave England next February.

“His infection markers have improved, we're not out of the woods, but I think we're making good headway. Those sort of things can be nasty. They can be no good and it's good he's better. I very much hope he'll be OK for next season. He owes us absolutely nothing and we won't take any risks with him. From an Australian point of view this is a bad time, but from any other point of view it's a good time to have a bit of a setback.”

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Knicks Go Heads Latest Longines WBRR

On the heels of his front-running, 2 3/4-length defeat of Medina Spirit (Protonico) in the Nov. 6 GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar, Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go (Paynter) has been assigned a rating of 128 and sits atop the latest edition of the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (WBRR).

With his victory in the $6-million centerpiece of Breeders' Cup weekend, the 5-year-old improved on his previous best ranking of 124. Knicks Go ranks one point higher than the trio of G1 Investec Derby/G1 King George & Queen Elizabeth S. hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}); Misriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), winner of the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic and G1 Juddmonte International S.; and the recently retired Cartier Horse of the Year St Marks Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), whose four Group 1 wins in 2021 include a latest defeat of Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal, 120) in the G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown in September.

Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) moved into a tie for seventh on a rating of 124 after carrying his unbeaten streak to six with a neck defeat of Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}, 125) in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. on British Champions weekend at Ascot Oct. 16. The 3-year-old shares that position with the world's top-rated sprinter and reigning Australian Horse of the Year Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}), who took the lucrative The Everest at Randwick Oct. 16 ahead of a dominating 3 1/4-length success in the G1 Darley Sprint Classic at Flemington Nov. 6.

Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) has been given a rating of 123 for his gritty victory in the G1 QIPCO British Champion S., where he defeated 3-year-old Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride of Dubai {Aus}) by three-quarters of a length. The latter is also ranked for the first time, having been given 121 for his Ascot efforts.

Also ranked for the first time is 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief), who thrashed his rivals in the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile last Saturday and was given a rating of 123. His previous best was 120.

Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), this year's G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) hero, improved his rating to 123 from 120 following his success in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo Oct. 31 where he had 2020 Triple Crown winner Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), 121) and Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), 121) immediately in his wake.

In Australia, Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) has been assigned a rating of 122 for her four-length victory over Incentivise (Aus) (Shamus Award {Aus}) in the G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup, while State of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) sits on 120 after his win in the G1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate Oct. 31.

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