Chris Waller plots Turnbull Stakes upset to spoil day for James McDonald and Romantic Warrior
Chris Waller and James McDonald will be rivals in the Turnbull Stakes as the champion trainer aims to topple favourite Romantic Warrior with his four runners.
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Chris Waller has long been a beneficiary of jockey James McDonald riding hot favourites in Group 1 races but on Saturday the champion trainer wants to spoil the Romantic Warrior party.
Waller has four in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington trying to beat the Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior, including second and third favourites Osipenko and Soulcombe.
Melbourne Cup contender Francesco Guardi is expected to run a bold race third-up at 2000m, while El Bodegon, placed third in the Cox Plate last year, has been an enigma of sorts, unable to replicate training to race day thus far.
“There’s a bit of rivalry there,” Waller said of McDonald, unbeaten in three previous starts on Romantic Warrior.
“I hope he does well but he’ll have to do well to beat the Aussies, so good luck James.
“It’s great they’ve brought the horse out here, but I hope we can beat James tomorrow.”
McDonald has won 28 Group 1s for Waller including nine on Verry Elleegant and eight on Nature Strip.
A sixth Turnbull triumph on Saturday would place Waller next to current record-holder Lee Freedman.
Waller has trained five of the past eight winners including Verry Elleegant (2020), King’s Will Dream (2019), Winx (2017-18) and Preferment (2015).
Waller would welcome any of his four into the winner’s stall on Saturday, but especially Osipenko with retiring legend Damien Oliver aboard in his spring farewell tour.
Despite indomitable individual records as a trainer and jockey, Waller (152) and Oliver (129) have only combined successfully at Group 1 level twice before, with Danleigh (2009 All-Aged Stakes) and Preferment (2014 Victoria Derby).
“Damien Oliver is the Frankie Dettori of Australia, and we have seen what Frankie has done in other parts of the world and Damien is just as keen to get it done down in this part of the world, so we’ve got the right jockey on,” Waller said.
“I’m a racing purist and love history and the people that have made racing great and Damien is one of them, I remember as a kid how great he was and when he was an apprentice what he was doing, and he’s continued to go along and do it year after year after year.
“If he could pilot one of our horses to win another Group 1, it would be pretty special.”
Originally published as Chris Waller plots Turnbull Stakes upset to spoil day for James McDonald and Romantic Warrior
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