After another stellar year as Australia’s leading Group One trainer, Chris Waller is well underway with plans for more at home and abroad.
Well into the post-Winx era, Waller will ramp up the preparations of several top class performers in coming weeks including Everest winner Yes Yes Yes and triple Group One-winning sprinter Nature Strip.
Both have Group One autumn targets before being aimed at the major sprints in June at Royal Ascot where the Waller-trained Brazen Beau ran second in the 2015 Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
“Yes Yes Yes is going very well. He’s come back a stronger, more mature three-year-old,” Waller said.
“He is due to trial on the 21st and will resume either in the Eskimo Prince or the Lightning, I haven’t decided yet
“I have to work out what weight he is likely to get in the Newmarket but the TJ Smith Stakes is a definite target.
“The TJ seems the logical last run in Australia before I prepare him for Ascot.
“Nature Strip is also due to trial in Sydney on the 21st then he will be first-up in the Lightning
“He is likely to run in the King’s Stand and Yes Yes Yes will be set for the Diamond Jubilee.”
More immediately the trainer will roll out Kolding, King’s Will Dream, Danzdanzdance, Night’s Watch, Youngstar and Wu Gok in barrier trials next week.
Kolding emerged as a genuine star in the spring with his wins in the Epsom Handicap and the inaugural $7.5 million Golden Eagle.
Waller would like to run him in the All Star Mile but needs some guarantee of a start.
The majority of the field is decided by public vote with the winners of the Futurity and Blamey Stakes getting automatic entry and two or three wild cards available.
“I’ve got a slight leaning to the All Star Mile but how do you set a horse for the race if you don’t know he will get a start?” Waller said.
“I think they probably need to give people an indication what wild cards they are going to use.
“So, unless I have a good indication he is going to get a start in the race we can stay home and target the Apollo Stakes, Chipping Norton Stakes and George Ryder Stakes, which I don’t mind.
“If he was to go to the All Star Mile, I would run him in the Orr Stakes as the All Star Mile is at Caulfield this year.
