James McDonald sings praises of Waller 3YO

Espiona will return to Sydney for the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes this weekend. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images Brilliant mare Espiona will return to Sydney and take on The Everest winner Think About It in Saturday's Group 1 $750000 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Royal Randwick. Trainer Chris Waller accepted in the Randwick sprint as well as the Group…

The $10 million The Golden Eagle (1500m) has drawn together an outstanding field for just its fifth running at Rosehill on Saturday and here is our assessment of the form of each of the runners. The four-year-old set weight contest is the second richest race in Australia after it was introduced to the racing calendar in 2019. Watch the Melbourne…

Champion trainer Chris Waller is preparing to unleash a five-strong Golden Eagle (1500m) attack led by Group 1 winner Kovalica next Saturday at Rosehill Gardens. Waller, who won the first Golden Eagle with Kolding, is eager to hunt his second win in the richest race on his home track and looks set to saddle up a quarter of the field in the $10…

He's yet to taste success in the Caulfield Cup but James McDonald believes his efforts to get down to 54kg will pay dividends in Saturday's $5 million feature. Australia's premier rider will partner the Chris Waller-trained Francesco Guardi in what experts are declaring "the strongest field in years". WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Richmond stars pumped as…

Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller doesn't have any of the big-race favourites but he is still an opportunity to repeat his famous 2019 Group 1 hat-track at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Waller had a sensational day at the feature Epsom meeting four years ago training six winners including the three Group 1 races with Kolding (Epsom Handicap), Come…

Hope In Your Heart will be ridden by Craig Williams in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap on Saturday. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images Trainer Kerry Parker is banking on the big-race genius of jockey Craig Williams and a significant gear change to provide Hope In Your Heart with an elusive Group 1 win in the $1.5m Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick…

Big timers Nature Strip, Zaaki, Alligator Blood, Shinzo. We just didn't know where to look at last Friday's Rosehill trial session. Star sire Snitzel had a big morning with several stand outs, Hawkes Racing produced three impressive unraced triallers, plus Zac Lloyd continued his rise through the ranks. Even in barrier trials. Time to fine grab a…

Giga Kick with trainer Clayton Douglas after winning the 2022 The Everest. Every Thursday, News Corp Australia's editorial director of racing and wagering Matt Williams and senior racing writer Ben Dorries chat all things horse racing. Matty (left) and Benny (right) are pumped for the spring carnival. MW: Benny, the new season's underway and the…

James McDonald on Caballus (purple and white silks) defeats apprentice rivals Dylan Gibbons (Estriella, yellow silks) and Zac Lloyd (Shaken, blue silks) in the opening race at Randwick on Saturday. Picture: Jeremy Ng-Getty Images Star jockey James McDonald gave punters an instant reminder of what they've been missing after helping million-dollar…

Chris Waller's filly I Am Famous is aiming to break her maiden at Randwick on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images Blue blood filly I Am Famous will be out to steal a valuable two-year-old race at Royal Randwick on Saturday but the stable says punters should "look out" when she turns three. I Am Famous is a half-sister to Everest hero Classique Legend…

Kovalica romped home in the Group 1 Queensland Derby for jockey James McDonald and trainer Chris Waller. Picture: Grant Peters-Trackside Photography. Group 1 excitement machine Kovalica is the current Caulfield Cup favourite but connections have warned he is far from certain to race in the $5m spring staying test. Part-owner Neville Morgan insists…

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…

Kovalica looks hard to beat in Satueday's Queensland Derby. Picture: Grant Peters - Trackside Photography. One question. One answer. Name a Queensland Derby starter capable of running third in a Group 1 Doomben Cup? Kovalica is your only possible answer. Yes, Kovalica enjoyed a charmed run along the rail when third, 1.2 lengths behind Huetor last…

Chris Waller's racing manager Charlie Duckworth has identified three of the stable's Hawkesbury team on Saturday he believes are horses punters should take note of heading into the winter months. The stable will have multiple runners in one of the feature races of the day, the $200000 Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) and Duckworth declared there…

Juvenile Militarize has made an impressive start to his career at Canterbury and in doing so revived memories of another son of super sire Dundeel. Champion hoop James Mcdonald couldn't help but draw comparisons between the Chris Waller-trained youngster and Castelvecchio, who took out a similar race at the same track at his first start four years…

Atishu's form is nothing to sneeze at, according to master trainer Chris Waller heading into the Ballarat Cup on Saturday. Her last start was an excellent two-length victory in the Matriarch Stakes over 2000m at Flemington on November 5, and as a result she is the $3.10 favourite with online betting sites over the same staying distance. The…

It's the type of scenario that would have been unfathomable just a few years ago, when there was an annual pilgrimage south for Cup week. Conversely, Sydney's No.1 rider, James McDonald, will ride in Melbourne on Saturday, and most trainers and jockeys are now choosing to be at the meeting where they think they have the best winning chances. But in…

Race favourite Smokin' Romans has drawn well in barrier five for Saturday's Caulfield Cup, but the task of winning the 2400-metre group 1 may have suddenly got harder for the next rung of contenders. All the talk is about what the condition of the track will be following the Thousand Guineas meet on Wednesday, and ahead of forecast torrential rain…

Chris Waller toyed with splitting fillies Zougotcha and Madame Pommery after they ran the quinella in the Tea Rose Stakes before deciding both deserved their chance at a Group 1 win. As a result, the pair will clash again in Saturday's Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick, the final leg of the four-race Princess Series. While Zougotcha is a $3.40…

Two confidence-boosting wins have put stakes placegetter Roots back on a path to better races Champion jockey James Mcdonald had no issue collecting five winners at Randwick on Saturday, but he felt almost guilty about his midweek victory aboard Roots at Canterbury. Sent around a $1.45 favourite, the mare lived up to her short quote, easily chasing…

Godolphin superstar Anamoe, racing's rarest gem, and his stellar showdown with powerhouse Zaaki should be the scene-stealer on Super Saturday at Royal Randwick. But their compelling clash in the Group 1 $1m George Main Stakes (1600m) is being challenged for race of the day status by a mini-Everest sprint classic. Nature Strip, the world's best…

Surefire powered over the top to win the Bankstown Sports Handicap at Rosehill Gardens. Picture: Mark Evans-Getty Images Surefire won like a "sure thing" in a stunning return to racing at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Trainer Chris Waller has lofty ambitions with Surefire and for good reason after the former English stayer sprinted brilliantly to…

She has been a pioneer of Sydney racing and at Randwick on Saturday, Kathy O'Hara became the first female jockey to capture the Group 1 Epsom Handicap with a stunning performance aboard the Chris Waller-trained Rediener. It was a special win for the leading yard as O'Hara is married to Charlie Duckworth, Waller's racing manager and right-hand man,…