A significant challenge in racing colts is maintaining their concentration, so Chris Waller’s success in bringing five of them to the Group 1 Golden Rose is a notable achievement. The celebrated trainer will present Campione D’italia, Tron Bolt, St Gotthard, Stormy Marco, and Central Europe for Saturday’s highly anticipated stallion-making race, with all five being well-mannered and focused three-year-olds.
Waller attributes his method of housing colts separately from fillies and mares, combined with his staff’s skill in keeping them content and stress-free, as key factors in their ability to perform at their best.
“They’re absolute gentlemen,” Waller stated regarding his five Golden Rose hopefuls. “I’m going to give my team a wrap because it’s how they handle them, how they ride them, how they look after them. And I think it’s their ability as well, the horses. But if they’re not under pressure they’re enjoying life, and they’re not under pressure.”
St Gotthard is the market leader of Waller’s Golden Rose (1400m) team at $4, following his first defeat in three starts when narrowly beaten by Saturday’s rival Warwoven in the Run To The Rose (1200m).
James McDonald will continue his association with the colt, and Waller believes the full brother to the promising sire Switzerland will have no issues extending beyond 1200m for the first time. “His first-up run was good. James was very pleased, so that gave us the confidence to press onto this race,” he said. “The 1400 metres should be no problem. He relaxes well. He’s still learning. First-up he did a few little things wrong but once he irons them out, he’s a very good horse.”
St Gotthard, along with Castillo King, is among the least experienced runners in the Rosehill feature. Waller suggests that this inexperience can also indicate untapped potential. “In my opinion, he’s still got upside as well. A lot of the horses he’ll be racing may have plateaued, where he is still on the up,” Waller commented. “So, while I see negatives with inexperience, I see a lot of positive things with him still improving.”
While ten of the past 14 winners have come through the Run To The Rose, Waller has opted for a different strategy with Campione D’italia and Stormy Marco. Stormy Marco finished second in the Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) first-up, conceding 5-1/2 kilos to winner Persian Wonder. Waller noted parallels with the preparation of his 2018 Golden Rose winner, The Autumn Sun, who also experienced a defeat in his lead-up run in what was then known as the Stan Fox Stakes (1500m).
“The Autumn Sun came out of that type of race,” Waller recalled. “It was a distance he (Stormy Marco) was competitive over and he just peaked on his run with fifty to go with the big weight.” Waller is pursuing his fifth Golden Rose victory and second consecutive win, following Beiwacht’s triumph 12 months ago.
Explore the competitive racing odds available at Australian betting sites for the upcoming Golden Rose.