Chris Waller defends Rosehill Gardens track ahead of Golden Slipper meeting
Rosehill Gardens came under fire following last Saturday’s Coolmore Classic meeting but trainer Chris Waller believes the criticism was unfair.
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Premier trainer Chris Waller has labelled criticism of the Rosehill Gardens track as “ridiculous” as his home course prepares to host Saturday’s blockbuster Group 1 Golden Slipper meeting.
Rosehill came under fire on social media following last Saturday’s Coolmore Classic meeting with Group 1-winning jockey Regan Baylisslabelling the surface “disappointing” in a post on X.
The track was rated a Soft 6 last weekend despite less than 6mm of rain in the seven days leading into the meeting.
With rain forecast in Sydney on Wednesday, another soft track appears likely for the biggest Group 1 meeting on the calendar in Sydney.
“Some people gave the curators a hard time on Saturday which was ridiculous, just because they came off the fence,” Waller said.
“I was hearing people say you couldn’t make up ground, well there were horses late in the day that made up ground, which can be speed related.
“The one thing I hate, and it has happened in the past couple of months, is the tracks are too firm and horses don’t pull up well.
“It’s a fine line but I’d hope it’s a Soft 5 track.”
Waller will saddle up Golden Slipper second favourite Switzerland in the feature event with star jockey James McDonald set to pilot the unbeaten colt from barrier seven.
Like many of his rivals in Saturday’s $5m Golden Slipper field, Switzerland has never raced on heavy going but was a winner on a Soft 5 surface when he won the Pierro Plate two starts ago.
“The two-year-olds are a bit lighter on their feet,” Waller said.
“As long as it’s not heavy. Switzerland has won on a soft track.
“He seems to get to get through it in the mornings, this morning it would have been a soft track.
“If anything I like a bit of give in the track for young horses.”
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Rival trainer Adrian Bott, who could saddle up as many as seven runners with training partner Gai Waterhouse, has no concerns about potential soft conditions for hot favourite Storm Boy.
Storm Boy firmed from $2.30 into $2.10 favourite for the Golden Slipper after drawing barrier two for the feature sprint where he will line up alongside stablemates Fully Lit, Shangri La Express, Straight Charge, Prost, Lady Of Camelot and potentially Espionage.
“Naturally I would prefer to see them on top of the ground, I think they are better in that regard,” Bott said.
“I think potentially it would favour a horse like Straight Charge if there is a bit of give in the ground but the favourite Storm Boy has shown some good form on a few occasions in soft conditions at the races and in trials.
“I think Storm Boy can handle it.”
Originally published as Chris Waller defends Rosehill Gardens track ahead of Golden Slipper meeting
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