Four things I learnt on Day 1 of The Championships

Day 1 of The Championships at Royal Randwick was a mouth-watering affair, highlighted by Chris Waller’s training masterclass in which he trained the first four runners past the post in the Doncaster.

There were many things learnt at Saturday’s meet, and these are the four that stand out for me as we prepare for the second day of The Championships this weekend.

Lankan Rupee is the best sprinter in the world
Despite the form that Lankan Rupee had shown going into the TJ Smith Stakes, many doubters (including myself) thought that he may struggle with a wet track. Trainer Mick Price’s galloper showed that you should never write a champion off when he produced a commanding performance to defeat Rebel Dane by two lengths on Saturday.

It’s a performance that showed why he’s considered the best sprinter in the world. Since being gelded, Lankan Rupee has been beaten to the post just once.

The turnaround is significant, and Mick Price never dreamed of this situation.

“I tried to win a car at Moonee Valley one night and he got beat, so I couldn’t have thought this horse would turn into the world’s best sprinter,” Price said.

Some credit must go to Randwick track manager Nevesh Ramdhani. Price revealed he originally wanted Craig Newitt to stay on the fence, a plan Ramdhani convinced him to rethink.

“I had some hair-brained scheme to suck up on the paint, but even Nevesh said to me, ‘I think you’ll get killed if you do and you get beat’,” Price said.

“It was not our plan to lead Buffering, but that’s what the good jockeys do. They make their own decisions in the Group 1s. That’s what Craig did and he had the horse underneath him.”

Price now believes that Lankan Rupee is the best horse he has trained, and I find it hard to disagree.

Chris Waller is Australia’s premier trainer right now
Nicknamed ‘The Doncaster Don’ after his stellar performance training the first four of the Doncaster Mile, it’s hard to argue with the facts. Waller’s achievement was so significant that he went out and celebrated the feat on Saturday night, spending much of the night with the Sacred Falls crew following the four-year-old’s victory in the race.

“I don’t usually go out to celebrate [after big races],” Waller said. “I would rather be home with my family, but I can remember each of the nights after my Doncaster wins because it is such a special race.

“It is great to win any race but Group 1s are special, and to have the first four is still hard to comprehend.”

Waller’s horses will again need to bring their A-game this weekend when they face some stiff competition in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Sacred Falls, Royal Descent and Hawkspur will be joined by Doncaster scratching Boban and My Kingdom Of Fife, 10th in the famous mile, in Saturday’s race.

They won’t have it all their own way when they come up against the likes of It’s A Dundeel, Silent Achiever and Carlton House. If anyone is going to defeat that trio, it’s likely to be one of Waller’s charges.

Sydney loves its racing
In a day that would’ve been considered good weather if you were a duck, around 25,000 people still flocked to Randwick to watch the races on Saturday.

Racing NSW chairman John Messara said that Sydney’s new-look autumn carnival was a hit among race goers.

“There was some fantastic racing, the atmosphere and vibe at the track was electric, and the wagering turnover results were the icing on the cake.”

On-track wagering turnover itself was up 13 per cent compared to last year. Following Saturday’s success, it is expected that close to 35,000 will turn up for Day 2 of The Championships this Saturday.

Tommy Berry could have a fairytale in the Sydney Cup
Following the death of his twin brother Nathan Berry from Norse Syndrome, Tommy Berry hadn’t had much to smile about. It’s been a tough few weeks for the talented jockey, but there may be a silver lining at the end of the rainbow.

After saying goodbye to his brother earlier this week, Berry dedicated his win on The Offer in the fourth race to his late brother. It was an emotional tribute that sent a chill down the spine of all of those watching.

“That was Nathan’s win today,” he said. “It’s been the hardest week of my life that’s for sure, but no harder than it’s been for Nathan.

“Coming here today and being able to ride a winner for him is very special. It’s just something I love doing and something Nathan loved doing. I’m very fortunate that I can live his dream as well as mine now.”

Following the victory on Saturday, The Offer has been installed as a favourite to win this weekend’s Sydney Cup.

If Berry was to win that race it would be one of the feel good stories of The Championships, and one I’m sure many racing fans would love to see.