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Ray Thomas’ Blackbook: Bear On The Loose was fierce … but there’s another import punters should follow

As Chris Waller and James McDonald continued to dominate, there was an eye-catching performance from a promising import at Rosehill on Saturday … and Ray Thomas is not talking about impressive winner Bear On The Loose.

Ray Thomas
5 min read
July 1, 2024 - 8:10AM
Don Diego De Vega (arrow) did a terrific job behind impressive winner and fellow import Bear On The Loose at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Picture: Bradley Photos
Don Diego De Vega (arrow) did a terrific job behind impressive winner and fellow import Bear On The Loose at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Picture: Bradley Photos

Hall Of Fame trainer Chris Waller and champion jockey James McDonald have continued their dominance at Group 1 level this season.

Waller prepared 12 major race winners during the 2023-34 season to retain the nation’s leading Group 1 trainer title for a record 12th successive year.

It’s been a season to remember for Waller who also became the first trainer to prepare the winners of $50 million prizemoney in a single season when Speycaster won the Stayer’s Cup at Rosehill last Saturday.

McDonald missed the final Group race of the season, the Tatt’s Tiara, at Eagle Farm, due to illness but he had already claimed leading Group 1 jockey honours.

He has had a career best season winning 19 Group 1 races including five overseas – four in Hong Kong and one in Japan.

• Everest history awaits ‘modern day freak’ Bella Nipotina

With 14 Australian big-race wins, McDonald became a four-time winner of the leading Group 1 award and is the first jockey to ride at least 10 Australian Group 1 winners for three successive seasons.

McDonald’s 14 Australian majors this season is the third-highest of all-time behind “Miracle” Mal Johnston who rode 16 Group 1 winners in 1979-80 and George Moore’s 15 big-race wins in 1957-58.

Trainer Ciaron Maher has kept the pressure on Waller all season in the race both to break the $50 million prizemoney barrier and for leading Group 1 honours.

Maher has also enjoyed a career-best season in 2023-24 which included his stable quinella in the final Group 1, the Tatt’s Tiara, with outstanding mare Bella Nipotina and Semana.

The Tiara one-two gave Maher 10 Group 1 wins for the season and his stable earnings now rest at $49.5 million with still a month remaining for the 2023-24 season.

Waller might have broken the $50 million barrier first but Maher is still in the hunt to end the season as the nation’s leading prizemoney trainer with the result likely to go down to the wire when the season ends on July 31.

Godolphin maestro James Cummings (seven Group 1 wins) and the Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott stable (six Group 1 wins) also had very good seasons.

• Ford, Pride motoring to milestone after Rosehill double

McDonald completely dominated the riding ranks at Group 1 level with his 14 majors dwarfing the results of Craig Williams, Jamie Kah, Mark Zahra, and Opie Bosson who all rode five Group 1 winners each.

Bosson’s major wins came with one horse – champion New Zealand sprinter Imperatriz who won the Moir Stakes, Manikato Stakes, VRC Champions Sprint, Lightning Stakes and William Reid Stakes.

Imperatriz won more big races than any other horse during the season but it won’t necessarily guarantee her the Horse of the Year title.

Even the Team Hayes-trained Mr Brightside’s four Group 1 wins in the Memsie Stakes, Makybe Diva Stakes, Futurity Stakes and Orr Stakes won’t be enough to give him the number one racehorse the horse award.

Both Imperatriz and Mr Brightside were unable to win in Sydney during the season, something their main Horse of the Year rival, Pride Of Jenni, managed so spectacularly in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick during The Championships.

The Maher-trained Pride Of Jenni also won major races in spring and autumn and in Melbourne and Sydney – the Empire Rose Stakes and Champions Mile at Flemington, and her incredible Randwick romp when she thrashed Via Sistina and Mr Brightside by more than six lengths.

Mighty mare Pride Of Jenni also won the All-Star Mile at Caulfield, a race which is deserving of Group 1 status.

Riff Rocket, the Waller-trained three-year-old, was the other three-time Group 1 winner with his classic triumphs in the Victoria Derby, Rosehill Guineas and ATC Australian Derby.

MOST GROUP 1 WINS FOR SEASON 2023-24

TRAINER

Chris Waller – 12

Ciaron Maher – 10

James Cummings – 7

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott – 6

Mark Walker – 5

JOCKEY

James McDonald – 14

Craig Williams – 5

Jamie Kah – 5

Mark Zahra – 5

Opie Bosson – 5

HORSE

Imperatriz – 5

Mr Brightside – 4

Pride Of Jenni – 3

Riff Rocket – 3

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ROSEHILL SNAPSHOT

YOU CAN BET ON IT

Elouyou (race 8) was heavily backed from $4.40 into $3.40 favouritism and landed the betting plunge with a dominant win.

One TAB punter had a successful wager on Elouyou of $4500 at $3 and another had a successful $3000 each-way bet ($3.40/$1.60).

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HORSES TO FOLLOW

Aramco (race 9), a two-time winner at Flemington over 2000m when last in work, ran a blinder at his first start for new trainer Chris Waller with his first-up fifth to Highlights. Aramco was midfield and held for a run in the straight but was closing rapidly when he found some galloping room.

Elouyou (race 8) hasn’t missed a top three placing in his eight starts, winning three including his dominant Rosehill effort. He has tactical speed to take up a forward position in his races and can sustain his finishing speed.

Bear On The Loose and Don Diego De Vega (race 10) were European imports making their Australian debuts and were impressive running the quinella over 1800m. Bear On The Loose led most of the way to win well while Don Diego De Vega was doing his best work on the line as he closed to within a length of the winner.

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TURF TALK

“We have the Moir Stakes and the Manikato Stakes in Melbourne during the spring that we can run Coleman. I’m tipping that if he can win one of them then he would be a good choice for someone in The Everest,’’ said trainer Matt Laurie.

“I’ve ridden for Joe (Pride) for a long time. We have had good runs and bad runs but he always has a ride for me. I do a lot of barrier trials for him so I play a small part in his team,’’ said in-form jockey Jay Ford.

“Since the blinkers have gone on, he is just a real racehorse now. He’s jumping, he’s putting himself on the pace, he is travelling perfectly and then he’s quickening. Obviously if you have a turn of foot at the end of a staying race, you’re always going to be hard to beat,’’ said Chad Schofield, rider of McKell Cup winner Golden Path.

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CRUNCH TIME

Eye Of The Fire (race 6) produced the fastest final 600m of the meeting when he sprinted home in 33.55s to finish a close third to In Flight. No other horse ran their final 200m faster than Eye Of The Fire’s 11.32s, either.

Elouyou (race 8) settled on speed and ran his final 600m in 35.38s with sectional splits of 11.83s, 11.55s and 12.01s which made it impossible for his chasing rivals to get near him.

War Eternal (race 9) was back near the rear of the field, went wide on the turn and stormed home his final 600m in 34.29s.

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STEWARDS SAY

Father’s Day (race 3) did not show sufficient early speed to lead early. Then at the 1200m, he started to give ground and continued to drop back through the field. From the 700m, Father’s Day was eased out of the race and later a veterinary examination revealed the gelding was 2/5 lame in the off hind leg.

Franz Josef (race 10) settled in a forward position but was required to travel wide through the early stages. After obtaining cover behind Our Anchorage along the back straight, Franz Josef then raced keenly and did not close his race off as expected.

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NSW RACING – THE WEEK AHEAD
Monday: Corowa, Gunnedah
Tuesday: Scone
Wednesday: Canterbury
Thursday: Kembla Grange
Friday: Goulburn, Tamworth
Saturday: Royal Randwick, Wyong
Sunday: Grafton, Mudgee

Originally published as Ray Thomas’ Blackbook: Bear On The Loose was fierce … but there’s another import punters should follow

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Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/horse-racing/ray-thomas-blackbook-chris-waller-james-mcdonald-dominate-group-1s-again-in-season-202324/news-story/c5158118ea99e59ed4c5113878efad35