Day 1 of The Championships certainly lived up to the hype, with top-quality races full of depth and class.
The jockeys were outstanding, whether it was the strength of Hugh Bowman in the Derby, the audacity of Craig Newitt in the TJ Smith or the patience of Zac Purton in the Doncaster.
However, it was the trainers who stole the show.
Gerald Ryan convinced owners of Peggy Jean to bypass the Golden Slipper and instead head towards the Sires Produce. This is no mean feat, especially for owners with an in-form horse before a $3.5 million race.
David Payne has managed to keep Criterion performing at the top level for over 12 months. From the Golden Slipper to the Victoria Derby and finally with a career-defining Australian Derby victory. Mick Price went to the well again with Lanken Rupee, five weeks after his grand final win in the Newmarket Handicap.
And then Chris Waller stamped himself as Australia’s premier trainer with his first four finish at the Doncaster Mile. He could not have scripted it any better. Sacred Falls, Royal Descent, Weary and Hawkspur handled the heavy conditions and all came out of different preparations to provide the 40-year-old with a career highlight.
It’s certainly one of the greatest training performance in modern times, but is it the best? I thought I’d share some of my other favourites.
Guy Walter trained the trifecta of the 2005 Doncaster Mile, while Peter Moody achieved the same feat in last year’s Lightning Stakes. Moody also played a significant role in Black Caviar’s career and never provided the media unlimited access to the mighty mare.
Joe Janiak kept Takeover Target racing at the highest level for five seasons. He won in England, Singapore, and Japan along with Group 1 races in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane (Perth too if you want to count the 2009 Winterbottom Stakes). Janiak’s training efforts are often over-looked when reminiscing on his rags-to-riches journey, but his patience and judgement made Takeover Target a world beater.
Lee Freedman, carrying the weight of Australia on his shoulders, trained Makybe Diva to win a third Melbourne Cup with 58 kilograms. This came on the back of a long autumn campaign in Australia and Japan, before an enormous win in the Cox Plate. Credit too must go to David Hall for his role in Makybe Diva’s early development and first Cup success.
Robbie Laing won the 2009 Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool with Sir Pentire, an amazing achievement when you consider he was first-up over 5500 metres off a two-year break.
However, my personal choice would be the king of jumps Eric Musgrove, who won three consecutive Nakayama Grand Jumps with Karasi. He won his last as a twelve-year-old and is the only Australian-trained horse to win three Group 1 races overseas.
Do you think Waller’s Doncaster first-four is better? Or have I missed someone all together?
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