Chris Waller surpasses $50 million in stake money for a season with Speycaster in the Stayer’s Cup

Premier trainer Chris Waller has become the first trainer to surpass $50 million in prize money for a season following Speycaster’s Stayer’s Cup success at Rosehill Gardens.

Rory Hutchings rides Speycaster to victory in the Stayer's Cup Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

HALL of Famer Chris Waller became the first trainer to smash the $50 million prizemoney barrier for the season with wins from Speycaster and Cigar Flick on Saturday.

Waller went into Saturday with stable earnings of $49,790,750 and he moved closer to the magical milestone with a quinella in the Stayer’s Cup (2400m) at Rosehill Gardens.

Speycaster sprinted clear of stablemate Kureder to win the feature race while Waller also had the fourth placegetter Gan Teroainn and Bonny Ezra (seventh) picking up prizemoney.

Then just minutes later, the Waller-trained Cigar Flick won the opener at Eagle Farm to take the trainer’s stable earnings over $50 million for the 2023-24 season.

Sydney’s reigning premier trainer also eclipsed his previous national prizemoney record of $49,813,478 set in 2021-22.

Waller and trainer Ciaron Maher have been locked in an enthralling duel to be the first to prepare the winners of at least $50 million in a season.

Trainer Chris Waller broke through $50 million in earnings at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Maher started Saturday on $48,655,040 and is also certain to pass the $50 million barrier sooner rather than later.

The race between the champion trainers to break the $50 million prizemoney barrier has been reminiscent of a similar struggle 40 years ago between training legends Bart Cummings and Tommy Smith to be the first to prepare the winners of $1 million in a season.

In a remarkable day, Cummings passed the milestone when Hello Honey ran second at Warwick Farm race but less than two hours later Smith also broke the $1 million mark when Igloo won the 1974 Brisbane Cup.

But Waller caps another hugely successful season that will result in a 14th consecutive Sydney premiership and the nation’s leading Group 1 trainer for the 11th successive year by breaking the $50 million prizemoney milestone.

Waller is taking a short family holiday but would have been relayed the news by stable representatives after Speycaster ($21) won the Stayer’s Cup by nearly two lengths from a game Kureder ($6.50).

The Annabel Neasham-trained Funambulist ($13) prevented a Waller stable trifecta by edging out Gan Teroainn for the minor placing.

Favourite Father’s Day ($3.20) ran last and officially finished 120 lengths behind the winner but there was something obviously amiss with the stayer which was basically eased out of the race from about the 1000m. It was later reported Father’s Day was lame in the off-hind leg.

Waller’s stable representative Damien Fitton praised the brilliant tactical ride of Rory Hutching on the winner, Speycaster.

“There wasn’t much tempo on early but Rory had the horse in a lovely, relaxed rhythm, and it was great to see him do that today,” Fitton said.

“His last two runs have been a bit disappointing since his impressive win at Newcastle. It’s great for the owners, great for the team at home.’’

Speycaster taking out the Stayer's Cup on Saturday at Rosehill Gardens during "McKell Cup Day" - Sydney Racing at Rosehill Gardens on June 29, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)

Hutchings said the race changed complexion when Father’s Day could not get the early lead.

“Obviously everyone thought Father’s Day would string them out,’’ Hutchings said.

“But he couldn’t get there and I saw Bailey (Wheeler) driving the ears off him.

“When we wanted to track into the race, he was stopping in everyone’s face so we just had to bypass that.

“I was able to keep my bloke in a rhythm the whole way which probably helped and he sprinted strongly in the straight.’’

Racing NSW chief steward Steve Railton questioned Fitton post-race about the sharp improvement from Speycaster.

Fitton told stewards that Speycaster had been “schooled in the arena” during the week and that seemed to spark the stayer back to his best in the Stayer’s Cup.

“We have a dressage arena so instead of taking them on the track we put them in the arena and they do some dressage work,’’ Fitton said. “We do that with a lot of the horses to break things up, we probably take ten out of a morning.”

Railton said now that Speycaster had found form again, stewards would expect the horse to race more consistently.

Fitton said in hindsight, perhaps Speycaster’s win at Newcastle on a very heavy track earlier in his preparation took something out of the horse.

“But with the extra week off and the cancellation last week, he has bounced back,’’ Fitton said.

“Kureder’s effort was also very good. We would have ideally liked to be a bit further back in running but he pinged the barriers and landed there.

“Well done to Maddy (Owen, apprentice jockey), it was a great initiative just to get him in a rhythm and allow him to be happy and comfortable. He was courageous and it will be his day to shine soon.”

Originally published as Chris Waller surpasses $50 million in stake money for a season with Speycaster in the Stayer’s Cup