Champion Sydney-based trainer Chris Waller turned back the clock at Ellerslie on Saturday with a heart-stopping victory by Konasana in the Group 2 Westbury Classic (1400m).
Konasana was Waller’s first New Zealand winner since the 2002-03 season, when he took the plunge and moved across the Tasman. He has gone on to become one of the all-time greats, winning more than 170 Group One races and earning Hall of Fame induction in both New Zealand and Australia.
Waller has won many bigger and richer races than the Westbury Classic, but Saturday was a special homecoming.
“It’s massive,” Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said. “And it’s great that the horse was ridden by Rory Hutchings, another expat New Zealander who outrode his claim for Chris as an apprentice in Sydney. Now they’ve both gone full circle.
“It also means a lot to get this win for Woppitt Bloodstock (owner-breeders) with Debbie Kepitis and her family here. It’s pretty emotional stuff, really.”
Konasana brought strong credentials into her trans-Tasman raid, with five wins to her name including a last-start success in the Group 3 Belle of the Turf (1600m) at Gosford on New Year’s Eve. She had also won the Group 3 James HB Carr Stakes (1400m) on heavy ground at Randwick last April.
A bold performance was expected from the daughter of Dundeel, who jumped as a $3.80 second favourite with . But her prospects appeared to take a major blow when she was squeezed backwards soon after the start and dropped out to the tail of the field.
Konasana was still well back and had a wall of horses in front of her turning into the home straight, but Hutchings drove her through a narrow opening and she chimed in with ominous ease with 200m remaining.
However, the unheralded Imprevu provided a major scare with a career-best performance. She dashed through on Konasana’s inside and matched motors with the Australian raider through a thrilling final 100m. In a head-bobbing finish, Konasana prevailed by a half-head. Imprevu finished three lengths in front of the third-placed Malt Time.
“I had no idea whether we’d won it,” Hutchings said. “We weren’t clean away and took a while to get into stride.
“She was going so well in the straight and got there so easily, I thought it was all over when she burst through. I couldn’t believe that another one came with her and made it so close. But it’s such a relief to get this win. Nothing went to plan, but she was still gutsy enough to get the job done.
“It’s a big thing for Chris to bring a horse over here. I’m sure he’ll get great satisfaction out of this, and Debbie and the family too.”
Duckworth suggested that New Zealand may not have seen the last of Konasana, with the Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) on Champions Day on March 8 a likely target.
“There’s a big chance she’ll stay for that,” Duckworth said. “Knowing there’s a sequence of races she could target was a big factor in sending her over.
“I’m just delighted for the horse. It wasn’t our intention to sit last, but she got a bad squeeze coming out of the gates. I didn’t know whether we’d got it on the line, but I’m glad we did.
“We’ve always had a pretty good opinion of this mare. Her first Group win was on a wet track in the autumn, so we were delighted to see her do it on good ground in the Belle of the Turf and again today.
“She travelled over beautifully and looked an absolute picture today. I thought we’d have some fun today if she ran up to her looks.”
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