By Chris Roots
Premier trainer Chris Waller can't recall having eight runners in one race before, let alone a group 1. However he still thinks Saturday's Chipping Norton Stakes is Contributer's to lose despite his record team.
"Eight is a lot to have in one race, I don't think I have had that many in a race before, but you only need one. The way I look at the race is that Contributer would have to come back a fair bit for us to beat him," Waller said.
Chris Waller is happy with his big race hopefuls.Credit: Georgie Beresford
Punters agreed as Godolphin's import Contributer was backed from $3 into $2.80 at Ladbrokes for Sydney's first group 1 of 2015 when betting opened on Wednesday. Waller admitted to being impressed by the way Contributer toyed with a similar field in the Apollo Stakes a fortnight ago.
However he has more than half the field of 15 and if they all start it will break the record for the most runners in a group 1 in Australia, held jointly by Gai Waterhouse and John Hawkes.
Waterhouse had seven runners in the Metropolitan in 1995 and 1996, when she won it with Electronic and Hula Flight, while Hawkes in the halcyon days of Crown Lodge had seven in the 2003 Golden Slipper with Legally Bay the first of the team home when fifth behind Polar Success.
The staggering eight runners for Waller is testament to his training philosophy. He keeps horses coming back year after year. The group have won 36 races between them under Waller's care and five are group 1 winners.
"They are all at different points of their preparation but they have earned their place in a race like this one," Waller said. "It is hard to split them up right now and to tell you the truth we could have had Beaten Up and Bagman in the race as well. They all have group 1 targets later in the autumn but this is the right race at the right time."
Waller categorised the eight runners into three groups.
"We have a few genuine chances that are miler specialists, a few that are one run from their best run like Junoob, Foreteller and Hawkspur – specialist 2000-metre horses," Waller said. "Then you have Who Shot Thebarman and Opinion that are stayers and probably two runs away from their best."
Defending champion Boban, He's Your Man and Weary are the ones Waller thinks could give them a ninth group 1 success for the season.
"Boban might not be in his best form but he has had a good prep, he is third up over the mile and won the race before," Waller said.
"Weary has proven himself many times at weight-for-age, the mile will suit and if there is some rain around he will come right into the race.
"He's Your Man won second-up last time and I think he should be still sharp enough to be competitive over the mile. I'm banking that Contributer comes back to us a bit because he was just dominant last time, but I'm happy with my team."
Waller had another winning double at Rosehill on Wednesday to keep his winning tally ticking over courtesy of Sweet Fire and Flying Sebring. The rare Wednesday out at the Parramatta track produced a couple of well-related winners that have big futures.
Godolphin produced a Street Cry half-brother to Guelph in Inner Circle to win on debut, despite slipping over in his stall.
"He's a special colt that will only get better," John O'Shea said. "He reminds me very much of Shooting To Win at the same stage.
"We'll go to the Pago Pago [Stakes] and see what happens. We could run him again if he warrants it, otherwise spell him for the spring."
Then later in the day Norzita's half brother by Mastercraftsman, Nadir scored in the Dato Chin Nam colours. He opened his account over 1900m at his third start and will be aimed at the Australian Derby on April 4 with only one more run.
"The last horse to break his maiden in those colours here on a Wednesday was pretty handy [So You Think]," co-trainer James Cummings said.
"We will give him one more run over 2400m in either the Manion Cup or class 1 at Newcastle before going to the Derby. He is a really nice stayer."
Meanwhile, Glyn Schofield was suspended for five meetings for careless riding on Wednesday. The penalty starts on March 1 and means he misses the Black Opal at Canberra and the Randwick Guineas meeting.