Milestone on hold for Chris Waller
Champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller must wait to notch another training milestone after he was denied a 200th Warwick Farm winner as he jetted to the Kentucky Derby.
Although he had 10 runners spread over five races at the midweek meeting, Waller, who celebrated his first winner at the track in 2000 with Gem’s Blood, had to settle for a cluster of minor placings.
While Waller’s Warwick Farm double century has been delayed until at least May 17, Godolphin had instant success with debutant Barbeque ($9) defying a determined finish by Easy Go Easy Win ($3.50) to claim the Vinery Plate (1300m) maiden for two-year-olds.
The gelding picked off Waller’s $3.30 favourite Sambro as the post loomed to score by a half head.
Godolphin was represented by Darren Beadman, standing in for soon-to-be former head trainer John O’Shea.
“He really showed a lot of fight there in the finish. He really stuck his head out,” Beadman said.
“He could have easily just gone through the motions but it was a very determined win.”
Tye Angland rode Barbeque in his first barrier trial at Rosehill on April 10 and said he had improved appreciably on the good surface.
“The track was soft that day and he didn’t get through it at all. He jumped well (today) and relaxed nicely for me,” he said.
Beadman said the goal was now to source a Saturday race for Barbeque in Sydney, or perhaps further afield.
“We’ll probably just go step by step,” he said. “It’s not easy to win first-up especially over 1300 (metres). There may be something in Brisbane for him.”
Pelorus Jack ($3.30) also got off the mark for Randwick trainer Les Bridge at the fourth attempt when he won the three-year-old maiden (1300m) in another tight finish by a short neck from the Waller-trained Queen of Heights ($15).
Kathy O’Hara missed the meeting through illness and also missed two winning rides for Warwick Farm trainer Jason Coyle.
Angland was the recipient of the ride on three-year-old filly White Moss ($4.80) who racked up her third straight victory in a benchmark 72 handicap (1400m).
White Moss cleared out to score by 2-1/2 lengths from the Bridge-trained Zonk ($4) while Medaille, the $2.70 favourite filled out the minor placing, two lengths adrift.
“I thought that was quite comprehensive against a fairly handy bunch of fillies. Where she can get to from here, I’m not really sure,” Coyle said.
Jess Taylor got the call to ride the Coyle-trained Vain Elaine who had a tougher time in her 1600m-race, beating the Waller-trained Monasterio by a half head.