By Brad Gray
At Warwick Farm
Waller Raises The Bat
Cellarman’s Warwick Farm victory brought up 100 winners for Chris Waller this season at all NSW tracks. It’s a remarkable achievement given that it’s not even Christmas yet!
Waller, like he does with most things, took the milestone in his stride, before complementing Blake Shinn on his patient ride, who now is now three from three aboard the Star Thoroughbred-syndicated gelding.
“Full credit to Blake who just let him get into his natural rhythm which saw him get a strong mile,” Waller said.
“I think Blake is doing fantastic job. He is a credit to himself. He’s an intense person for those that don’t know him at home but you know when you put your money on him he’ll give you his best and he is disappointed if he gets beaten. I’ve tried to say ‘listen, don’t beat yourself up about every ride’, just over a three and six month period try to get better and I think he is doing it. He is a great jockey and we need him.”
It won’t be the last you see of Cellarman this preparation either.
“We’ll keep him going while he is going well. He has won three races from his last five starts and when they are in a rich vein of form, with a horse like him, you make the most of it,” Waller said.
What a combo!@blake_shinn and Cellarman back at it again. pic.twitter.com/cL13bBzDno
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) December 23, 2017
Montreal To Deliver Boxing Day Knockout
Progressive gelding Montreal looks destined for much bigger and better things than the Benchmark 74 grade he tackles on Tuesday at Royal Randwick. And co-trainer Adrian Bott agrees.
“I really like him,” said Bott. “We’ve had to be patient with him throughout his career but he was brilliant in the way he returned. He had a long time off the scene but he has always shown us from early days that he could progress to being a top class horse. He has got great bloodlines, physically he looks great and he has been working really well.”
The Lonhro galloper (out of Cirque Du Soleil) made a mess of his rivals at Wyong first up after a yearlong break and Bott was confident he’ll run just as well, if not better, second up.
“I think he’ll be right and he did it easily enough the other day. From what I’ve seen in his work he has still got plenty of dash in his legs, despite the likelihood of him getting over further eventually,” he said.
It was a tough day on the punt at Warwick Farm. Reckon we can get some of it back with Montreal.
Scream Park To Run In New Zealand
On paper it looked a formality for Scream Park and that was the case with the three-year-old proving too classy for his two rivals at Warwick Farm.
"It's been hard to get a gauge on where he is at. His maiden win was here at Warwick Farm but it was on a wet track. Today he struck a three horse field," Waller admitted.
"We do think he has a bright future though and I guess next start will tell us a bit more again.
"We had a quick look this morning (at a likely next start) which is always a good sign before a race, a bit of confidence from the trainer. In two weeks' time there is another meeting at Warwick Farm and that would give him three weeks into the million dollar race (NZD) in New Zealand called the Karaka Million."
Tye Angland likes what he felt from the son of Ocean Park suggesting he'd stretch beyond the mile.
"When I let him quicken into it I knew I had it won a long way out but he just doesn't know how to put them away," the jockey said. "I had to give him a few reminders late to keep his mind on the job. He's a nice horse, has a lot of promise and he'll definitely get further."
Scream Park gets the job done at the shorts ✅ pic.twitter.com/t6JVRli60r
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) December 23, 2017
Moonlight To Create Magic
Throw this name into your blackbook. Moonlight Magic.
He is a Godolphin five-year-old who now calls Agnes Banks home and his form lines are that of a Group One animal. He has won four from 14 and has a few eye-catching placings including splitting Minding and Johannes Vermeer back in May this year.
By all reports he is a lovely type of horse but we’ll have to be patient regarding his Australian debut with the Irish import in the paddock and unlikely to make a cameo in the autumn.
Check out all the results and replays for Saturday's Warwick Farm meeting.