Chris Waller mare Olentia stamps her Group 1 quality with Rosehill win
Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller made mention of Olentia's latent Group 1 ability after the mare's consummate win at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
"Olentia has come back really well, big and strong, right temperament and ready to announce ‘I'm here' and set take on some bigger things,'' Waller said.
"She will join into the elite company as well, right at the top. It's just a matter of when, there's no rush, but she will win a Group 1, I think.
"It was just a matter of having the confidence in her from the draw and I said to James (McDonald, jockey) just make sure she's within three lengths of them turning for home and she should be right.
"It helps you get out of trouble. She was three-wide today but there was no panic because she has a good turn of foot. You do need it to be a good horse."
Waller is usually reserved when asked about a horse's potential but his surprising willingness to talk up Olentia is an indication of the high regard he holds the mare.
Olentia gave a demonstration of her emerging talents when she settled at the rear of the field, went wide on the turn and quickly reeled in her rivals to take out the Schweppes Handicap (1200m).
McDonald finally got on the board after a couple of near misses when Olentia ($2.60 favourite) powered clear of her rivals to win by a widening 2¼ lengths from Tristate ($4.60) with Diamond Dealer ($5.50) just over a length away third.
Olentia, a $310,000 Magic Millions Yearling Sale purchase by Denise Martin's Star Thoroughbreds, improved her record to five wins from six starts including her Group 3 James HB Carr Stakes success last autumn.
Chris Waller discusses tactics with James McDonald. Picture: Jeremy Ng-Getty Images
McDonald had ridden Olentia once previously to win a restricted race at Hawkesbury earlier this year and was taken by the obvious improvement in the four-year-old mare.
"She took me by surprise,'' McDonald said after the race.
"I remember the last time I rode her at Hawkesbury she took the length of the straight to win.
"But against good fit sprinters today she picked them up very quickly and still had lengths up her sleeve.
"She's talented and could even be a Golden Eagle horse.''
Waller would not be drawn on Olentia's immediate race program but indicated the Group 1 $1.5m TAB Epsom (1600m) at Royal Randwick on September 30 is on the radar.
"I'd say she'd get a mile,'' Waller said.
"The Epsom might be a bit early, but if we are looking at a Group 1 that would probably be the most likely.''
Kintyre toughs it out
Kintyre, the talented half-brother to Golden Slipper winner Fireburn, enhanced his own spring carnival credentials when lowering the colours of luckless favourite Caballus at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
The Gary Portelli-trained galloper raced ungenerously but got his mind on the job when it mattered to win the Inglis Pink Bonus 3YO Benchmark 72 Handicap (1300m).
Odds-on favourite Caballus had missed the start and only got clear air late in the straight but by that stage the winner was off and gone.
Kintyre ($8.50) edged out the Bjorn Baker-trained Rockabilly Rebel ($51) by a long-neck with Chris Waller's Caballus ($1.90 fav) surging late into third.
"It was an enormous run," Portelli said.
"I think if you go back and watch the replay, a few things didn't go to plan. We thought we would be box seating and didn't think there would be great speed on.
"He sort of jumped a bit sideways and ended up a pair further back.
"Tyler (Schiller) was riding him along to try and hold his position and couldn‘t but then the speed came out of the race and he started over-racing."
Kintyre holds on to win the first race at Rosehill. Picture: Jeremy Ng-Getty Images
Schiller admits he was concerned in the run that Kintyre wouldn't be able to finish off after over-racing throughout patches of the race.
He had Caballus to his inside during the run and ensured his main rival remained in a pocket early in the straight before stealing a winning break,
"He has never over-raced on me so to see him so keen, I was a bit worried," Schiller said.
"I had the favourite in side of me and the back of Gai's horse (The Little Pumper), which I was always confident would take me into the race.
"He showed a good turn of foot today. He's been a bit of a thinker in the past but I think the gelding operation has done him the world of good."
Waller thought the slow getaway proved crucial to star jockey James McDonald's lack of fortune on Caballus.
"He cost himself at the start and as a result it made it hard for him to get out from where he was," he said.
Portelli will now map out a plan for the spring for his smart son of Hallowed Crown, which ran seventh in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes in his last run of the autumn.
The Warwick Farm trainer earmarked the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) as a possible target.
