Order Again (NZ) (Iffraaj) has been rewarded for his consistency with an overdue victory in the Listed Winter Challenge (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday, continuing Chris Waller’s domination of the feature race.
Waller has now captured six of the past nine runnings and he was rapt to see Order Again finally have some luck this campaign.
“He’s been very consistent without a lot of things going his way. It was a well-timed run and in typical Hugh Bowman style he just got there in time,” Waller said.
“Normally we have to space his races but this time it’s only been 14 days and he spent three or four days at Tim’s (Boland’s) farm to keep him happy and healthy.
“That’s the key to winning races at this time of year, happy horses.
“He’s been running around some decent horses, obviously Bandersnatch last start was a very good win, so he deserves one or two (wins) when they come his way.”
Order Again settled back in the field and stormed home to reel in Ziegfeld (New Approach) by a long head with the winner’s stablemate Sambro (Fastnet Rock) another length away third.
Jockey Hugh Bowman said Order Again was in at the right time of year but was equally capable of giving some cheek in the early-spring races.
“I think he’s going to start to come against better opposition in the coming months but he’s in good form, he’s fit and ready and those good horses are going to know he’s around if they race against him,” Bowman said.
Waller was successful earlier on the card with another kiwi-bred runner in No Compromise (NZ) (Pins).
No Compromise, a half-brother to multiple Group One winner Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park), is in great form at present having won three of his five starts since arriving in Australia earlier this year, and placing in the other two.
Bred by Gordon Cunningham, No Compromise was purchased by former trainer Bill Thurlow out of Curraghmore’s 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 draft and is raced by Grant and Patricia Thurlow.