Chris Waller plotting big spring with Shinzo and Militarize

Shinzo has the speed for The TAB Everest and Militarize the maturity to be competitive in weight-for-age races.

Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller gave this upbeat assessment this week of his crack colts who cleaned up Sydney's coveted juvenile triple crown during the autumn carnival.

Waller has had a sensational season with his two-year-old team in 2022-23 with 15 winners including three Group 1 races with Shinzo's Golden Slipper and Militarize's Inglis Sires-Champagne Stakes double.

"Shinzo is a very exciting horse,'' Waller said.

"To do what he did in the Golden Slipper was extraordinary.

"He wasn't pushed to get to the Golden Slipper and I don't think you could say that about too many Golden Slipper winners, but the acceleration he showed in that race and the race before (Pago Pago Stakes) proves he does have speed and ability.

"Hand on heart, he really is a horse with untapped potential and it wouldn't surprise me if he shows enough speed when he resumes in spring that he could be an Everest contender.

"From his breeding, I think you will see his speed shine through. I have found that a lot with horses like Zoustar, Brazen Beau and Yes Yes Yes.

"They look like they are going to be milers when they are running at two but that is because they are not fully developed. When they return as three-year-olds they show more speed.''

Shinzo could be aimed initially at the Golden Rose before a decision in made on The Everest while Militarize is likely to go a different path in spring.

"Militarize was outstanding in the autumn and is also untapped,'' Waller said.

"I still maintain he wasn't pressured to get to those races (Sires' and Champagne Stakes).

"We backed off at a suitable time when he still had condition on him, we certainly didn't get to the bottom of him during autumn.

"I feel he is more a Guineas horse and the beauty of the spring means there is so many options.

"I wouldn't be afraid of trying him against weight-for-age horses either in the spring as he is a pretty mature horse to do what he has done so far.''

Golden Slipper winner Shinzo could be aimed at the Golden Rose and The Everest in the spring. Picture: Getty Images

Until the 2022-23 season, Waller had not prepared a Group 1 two-year-old winner in Sydney but the champion trainer has silenced any lingering doubts about his ability to prepare two-year-olds.

Waller has a disarmingly simple explanation for his stable's success with their two-year-old team this season.

"We certainly haven't done anything different,'' Waller said.

"But I think the key is to get them started early especially the way I train as we don't push them as two-year-olds.

"Starting them earlier but not changing our intensity has been our recipe this year.''

Waller pointed out that his stable has two-year-olds emerging in numbers at the back end of the season with three or four starters in some races in recent weeks.

This is the case at Rosehill on Saturday where Waller has three entries for the juvenile opener, the TAB Handicap (1200m) – Congregation, Tutta La Vita and Dazzle Legend.

Congregation is raced in very similar interests to Shinzo with a syndicate of owners including Coolmore, Debbie Kepitis of Winx fame, Sir Peter Vela and the trainer himself.

The colt is superbly bred by Arrowfield Stud super sire Snitzel out of Group 1-winning mare Response, and is a full brother to 2018 Golden Slipper winner Estijaab.

With the colt's impeccable breeding and conformation to match, it was no surprise a final bid of $2.25m was needed to secure him at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale last year.

Waller didn't push Congregation to the races until May 24 where he scored a stylish debut win at the Canterbury midweeks.

It was the second high profile two-year-old colt from the Waller stable to debut with a Sydney midweek win last month after $3m Inglis Easter Yearling Sale graduate Kandinsky Abstract, a son of Widden Stud's champion stallion Zoustar out of Solar Charged which makes him a full brother to three-time Group 1 winner Sunlight.

But despite the boom on Congregation, he has not come up as favourite for the Rosehill opener with stablemate Tutta La Vita opening at the top of betting at $2.30.

Stablemates Congregation is at $4.60 and Dazzle Legend at $41.

Tutta La Vita was a $300,000 Magic Millions Yearling Sale graduate and is by Arrowfield's boom young sire The Autumn Sun out of Negotiate, who is the dam of Group 1 winner Secret Agenda and is from the same family as the legendary broodmare Denise's Joy.

Militarize claimed the Sires-Champagne Stakes double. Picture: Grant Guy

The youngster was excellent on debut when coming from back in the field to close out strongly and claim second behind Zoukerette at Canterbury last month.

Dazzle Legend, who is also by Zoustar and is raced by Hong Kong owner Bon Ho, was a $350,000 Magic Millions Sale purchase and the improvement he has shown in his two trials suggest he could be over the odds for his debut run.

At Eagle Farm on Saturday, Waller also has three starters in the feature two-year-old race, the Listed $160,000 The Phoenix (1500m), with Influential ($3.90), Mojave Desert ($5) and Cap Ferrat ($19).

Waller's success with his two-year-olds has been an integral part of another outstanding season for his stable which includes 12 Group 1 wins.

Kovalia's runaway win in the Queensland Derby last week moved Waller into the lead for the prestigious Champion Group 1 Trainer honours this season, one win clear of Godolphin's James Cummings with the Ciaron Maher-David Eustace making a late charge on 10 wins.

Waller is aiming to be leading Group 1 trainer for the 10th successive year and his results this season are perhaps even more remarkable as he had not had a dominant champion to win multiple majors.

In fact, Waller's 12 Group 1 wins have been achieved with 11 individual runners. The trainer's only repeat Group 1 winner this season was the two-year-old Militarize.

"It has been a satisfying season but also a frustrating one,'' Waller said.

"We have had a few things go against us with elevated temperatures early in the spring and with a lot of our horses again in the autumn but we have amazing staff who are young and eager to learn, and seeing the smiles on their faces when he have some success is very satisfying.''

Waller added the Queensland Derby with Kovalica last week to his Group 1 haul this season. Picture: Grant Peters-Trackside Photography

For Waller to have so many individual Group 1 winners during 2022-23 stands his stable in good stead for the new season starting August 1.

"I think we have an exciting season coming up with an amazing group of rising four-year-olds like Kovalica, Zougotcha, Osipenko, Lindermann, Madame Pommery and others,'' Waller said.

"Kovalica is a really talented horse. I don't think he is fully developed yet hence the reason he started later in the season and has been behind the Eight ball with the autumn in Sydney.

"But the Queensland carnival provides the perfect the building block for a horse's confidence and maturity.

"He hasn't been affected by Saturday's run (Queensland Derby), he looks fantastic but we need to stop now to ensure he gets on the right leg heading towards the spring.

"His winning strike rate is fantastic and you can even make a case for the races he hasn't won had circumstances been in his favour so that's the sign of a good horse in my opinion.

"To see Kovalica come back 20kg heavier in the spring will be exciting. Every horse has a ceiling and hopefully his hasn't been reached yet.''

Waller also has his elite group of rising three-year-olds which include the established stars Shinzo and Militarize, promising types like Kandinsky Abstract, Congregation and Tutta La Vita, JJ Atkins hopefuls Tannhauser and Chrysaor, plus others that are still to get to the races.

"We have had a number of Group 1 wins with our two-year-olds this season and plenty to back those ones up,'' Waller said.

"A lot of them are untapped as well, we haven't lit the fuse on them yet.''

Chris Waller's 2022-23 Group 1 winners – 12

Atishu (Queen of the Turf Stakes), Durston (Caulfield Cup), Espiona (Coolmore Classic), Kovalica (Queensland Derby), Lindermann (Rosehill Guineas), Madame Pommery (Thousand Guineas), Manzoice (Victoria Derby), Militarize (ATC Sires, Champagne Stakes), No Compromise (The Metropolitan), Shinzo (Golden Slipper), Zougotcha (Flight Stakes)