Australia: Waller, Moore win with Shinzo in Golden Slipper
Trainer Chris Waller had won Australia’s top races for horses3 and up, but the biggest one for 2-year-olds eluded him until Saturday.
Most famous for looking after four-time champion mare Winx, Wallergave England riding star Ryan Moore the leg up on Shinzo (15-1), who savedground from his rail post and won by 1 1/4 lengths in the Group 1, $3,379,500Golden Slipper, the world’s richest race for 2-year-olds.
“As you know, I get pretty caught up in the emotion ofwinning races,” Waller told Sky Racing World. “But honestly, there’s so manygreat races on our calendar every year, and having runners in it is aprivilege. I know it’s a big deal, and I respect it.”
With Moore’s left-handed urging in the deep stretch, the Snitzelcolt overtook the favorite Cylinder (2-1) in the last 150 yards of the roughlysix-furlong race and ran on to his second victory in seven days. Shinzo won thePago Pago (G3) last weekend over the same course and distance as Saturday’s sprint at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney.
“Tom (Magnier of Coolmore) called me last week at thistime and asked if I’d like to come down,” Moore said. “If it wasn’t for him Iwouldn’t be here.”
James McDonald, who rode Shinzo’s victory last week, tookthe ride Saturday on Cylinder, who settled for second after winning a pair ofGroup 2 races in the past four weeks.
“He ran beautifully,” McDonald said. “He tried hard.Everything worked out beautifully for him. Just the really strong horseovercame him late.”
King’s Gambit (7-1), Don Corleone (8-1) and Empire of Japan(60-1), all trained by Peter and Paul Snowden, finished third, fourth and fifthin that order.
Shinzo’s winning time for the race with one right turn was 1:09.65without a run-up over the course that was rated good. The race covered 1,200meters, about 7 1/2 yards short of six furlongs.
“I’m sure he’s not just an out-and-out, six-furlong sprinter,”Moore said. “I’m sure he’s going to be more comfortable when he gets over moreground. It feels like he’s improving, and he’ll continue to improve and allbeing he’ll have a good future.”
Second betting choice Learning to Fly (5-1), a previouslyundefeated filly who was sired by U.S. Triple Crown winner Justify, blew thestart before throwing jockey Chad Schofield when she checked in traffic midwaythrough the race.
“(Schofield) has sustained soft-tissue injuries and is a bitshaken but is otherwise fine after his fall,” Racing New South Wales said in asocial-media post. New Zealand racing journalist Jeremy Bullock reported thatSchofield had bruises on his arm.
Waller’s collection of Melbourne Spring Carnival Group 1victories includes four in a row from Winx in the Cox Plate from 2015 to 2018, VerryElleegant’s victories in the 2020 Caulfield Cup and the 2021 Melbourne Cup andDurston’s October triumph in the 2022 Caulfield Cup.
On the Golden Slipper undercard, 2021-22 division champion Anamoe (4-5) took a wide trip under McDonald, yet the 4-year-old Street Boss colt bred and owned by Godolphin still won the George Ryder (G1) going about 7 1/2 furlongs.
About 45 minutes earlier, Dubai Honour (9-2), a 5-year-old Pride of Dubai gelding, won by 4 1/2 lengths going about 1 1/4 miles in the Ranvet (G1). Moore rode the victory for trainer William Haggas.
Anamoe and Dubai Honour are expected to meet next month in the 1 1/4-mile Queen Elizabeth (G1) during The Championships at Royal Randwick in Sydney.
Coverage ofthe Golden Slipper Stakes for Horse Racing Nation was made possible through a sponsorship by Sky Racing World.
