Welwal, Madame Pommery headline premier trainer Chris Waller’s Hawkesbury assault

Trainer Chris Waller will have leading contenders in all three Group 3s at Hawkesbury’s blockbuster standalone meeting next Saturday.

Welwal (centre) winning at Rosehill.

Premier trainer Chris Waller is ready to gun for a Group 3 clean sweep at Saturday’s Hawkesbury standalone meeting.

Metropolitan racing in Sydney will head on the road for the next three weeks and Hawkesbury is first up before the The Coast meeting at Gosford and Scone’s standalone weekend.

Waller is set to have strong representation in the Group 3 $250,000 Hawkesbury Gold Cup, Group 3 $250,000 Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) and Group 3 $250,000 Hawkesbury Crown.

Waller won two of the three features last year with New Mandate (Hawkesbury Gold Cup) and Princess Grace (Hawkesbury Crown) and will have leading contenders in both of those races again.

Welwal will headline his Hawkesbury Gold Cup assault finishing third in the Group 3 Doncaster Prelude (1500m) at his last start while Rowley Mile winner Bold Mac.

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The Gold Cup also offers eligibility for this year’s $3 million Big Dance.

Madame Pommery will get the chance to bounce back to top form in the Hawkesbury Crown after failing to beat a runner home at her past two starts.

“Welwal is the main chance in the Cup,” Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said.

“Bold Mac will go there too but Welwal is the main hope and he’s been racing well this preparation. We will see how Madame Pommery goes, she is dropping in grade but she does need to perform.

“If she is going well enough a race like the Tatt’s Tiara is there but she has to be going better than what she is now to be racing there.”

Madame Pommery will chase a drought breaking success in the Hawkesbury Crown. Picture: Mark Evans-Getty Images

Madame Pommery hasn’t won since the 2022 Thousand Guineas and the breeding barn beckons if she can’t recapture her best in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Waller will launch a three-pronged attack in the Hawkesbury Guineas with Konasana, Snowman and Mchale.

Konasana heads to the race in top form after winning the Group 3 James H B Carr Stakes (1400m) last time while Mchale ran a solid fifth in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes back on day one of The Championships.

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Snowman has been off the scene since his narrow second to stablemate Chrysaor in the Group 2 Callander-Presnell at Royal Randwick last October.

Waller’s sole win in the Hawkesbury Guineas came in 2018 with Sambro.

The stable are set to look towards next month’s Listed $200,000 Scone Cup (1600m) with Waterford after his successful return from a spell at Rosehill Gardens last Saturday.

Waterford was back to his best with a win in Benchmark 100 grade over 1500m.

FIVE TO FOLLOW

POINT AND SHOOT (race 1)

The Blue Point colt produced an excellent debut showing after a few nice trials, coming from last to finish within a length of race winner Ikasara. Stick with him next start.

Ikasara wins on debut in the ATC Bookmakers Recognition Day Handicap 🐴

Another 2YO winner for @GaiWaterhouse1 and Adrian Bott 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MuBQcpGYTp

— Australian Turf Club (@aus_turf_club) April 27, 2024

UNUSUAL LEGACY (race 3)

Apprentice Amy McLucas had to go back to the inside and the inferior going in this gelding’s first up assessment. I loved the way he hit the line and given he’s only lightly-raced, it’s fair to say his best is ahead of him.

DEMIANA (race 5)

Barrier one proved costly for this Chris Waller-trained mare, which only saw daylight at the 100m mark before hitting the line nicely. That was her first run this preparation and it should pay to stay with her.

GREBENI (race 8)

Looks to be back for another great preparation after working home strongly in his first up assignment over 1500m behind Waterford. A race like the Scone Cup should be perfect for him in three weeks’ time.

Waterford runs down Iknowastar in the Vale Lonhro Hcp, with @nashhot riding a double!@[e-mail]/tCrgTBjDF4

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 27, 2024

VEGA MAGNIFICO (race 9)

Annabel Neasham might have something to work with in the form of this former European galloper. He went back to last from the outside draw and ran home in the worst part of the track but looked to have something to offer.

STEWARDS SAY

Biographer (race 2): Did not respond to riding rounding the turn and was disappointing in the manner he finished off the race. Was found to be 2/5 lame in the off-hind leg and off-foreleg by vets post-race.

Broadway Bouncer (race 2): Stewards viewed footage to determine if there were sufficient grounds for a protest against Everyone’s A Star. The winner shifted in but stewards could not be satisfied the incident would have changed the result.

Let’s Try (race 6): Did not travel comfortably throughout the middle stages and failed to respond to riding in the straight. No abnormalities were found post-race but the favourite’s condition will be monitored over the coming days.

Renosu (race 7): Failed to respond to Zac Lloyd’s urging in the straight and the apprentice was concerned something was amiss. The gelding displayed poor recovery post-race and he will require veterinary clearance before racing again.

Rondino (race 9): Didn’t beat a runner home in the penultimate event and was found to have bled from both nostrils for the first time. The gelding is now banned from racing for three months.

CRUNCH TIME

Martini Mumma (race 4): She seemed to win the Highway with a fair bit in hand and did so clocking her last 600m in 33.83 seconds. Her 11.24 last furlong saw her quickly put a gap on rivals.

🍸 Martini Mumma makes it three wins in a row in the TAB Highway at Rosehill!@[e-mail]/ub6rE8gh6N

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 27, 2024

Anagain (race 5): She went back and fanned widest on the turn before rattling off the fastest final 600m of the meeting in a tidy 32.81 seconds. She went sub 11 for the final two furlongs.

Disneck (race 6): Forced to go back from a wide draw, he used a 33.33 seconds last 600m to surge from first to last in the straight. A slick 10.88 split between the 400m and 200m proved decisive.

Grebeni (race 8): Only had two runners behind him in the run before working home strongly with a last 600m of 33.70 seconds to finish fourth. It included closing furlongs of 11.01 and 11.42.

TRACK TALK

“The premiership is something I would love to win again, particularly at my age (49) and after winning my third title 10 years ago.” Nash Rawiller

“Waterford hasn’t been the most straight-forward horse but he’s got ability and he was brilliant today,” Chris Waller’s right hand man Charlie Duckworth said.

“He is among the best two-year-olds I have ridden this season.” Adam Hyeronimus on Ikasara.

“This was as strong a Highway as I’ve contested and she was very impressive.” Matt Dale on Martini Mumma.

“If she had more to chase, I reckon she could go even quicker.” Dylan Gibbons on Martini Mumma.

“Ciaron has probably given me 100 rides over the past couple of weeks so it was about time I gave him a winner too,” Gibbons after winning on Ciaron Maher’s Southern Chilli.

YOU CAN BET ON IT

R7

Hard To Say saluted at $10 on the TAB fixed odds after drifting from its $9 opening price. It commanded less than a quarter of the hold and proved victorious from the seventh line of betting, with favourite Kazou ($4.40 out from $3.60) finishing third.

R8

Waterford opened at $15 and was crunched all the way into $2.90 favourite on the tote by the time it won the Vale Lonhro Handicap. A bet of $2500 each-way was taken on the Chris Waller trained gelding as well as $10,000 at $1.60 the place.

R9

There was some big late money for favourite Premise, but the mare was upstaged by Let’srollthedice on the sixth line of betting. The Danny O’Brien-trained gelding opened at $9 and had drifted to $10.60 on the tote by the jump.

THE SCHEDULE

Monday: Goulburn, Inverell

Tuesday: Grafton, Quirindi

Wednesday: Canterbury Park

Thursday: Wagga, Wyong

Friday: Wagga, Muswellbrook

Saturday: Hawkesbury, Lismore, Newcastle, Boorowa, Binnaway

Sunday: Bathurst, Nowra

RON DUFFICY’S ROSEHILL GARDENS SNAPSHOT

RUN OF THE DAY

While Waterford was fantastic landing huge bets 1st up you have to give it to the lightly raced inexperienced filly Martini Mumma.

Rarely do you see a filly like her come to town so early and win a Highway like she did.

FORGET THEY RAN

Although it seemed Southern Chilli seemed to win with something in hand Demiani should have made it a whole lot more interesting.

She was held up at vital stages in the straight which was very frustrating for her supporters.

Hot! Southern Chilli gives @djgibbons22 another winner at Rosehill!@[e-mail]/kk90PmgyGF

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 27, 2024

THE BLACK BOOK

I loved the run of a nice stayer in the making 1st up in Unusual Legacy.

He is only lightly raced and did more than enough putting in big strides late with plenty of improvement to come.

RIDE OF THE DAY

Nash Rawiller put on a masterclass late in the day with his winning treble.

He is just so unique and throws horses over the line.

Originally published as Welwal, Madame Pommery headline premier trainer Chris Waller’s Hawkesbury assault