Champion hoop Joao Moreira lauds Chris Waller after landing another feature race win for the trainer during his Australian trip

Jockey Joao Moreira had high praise for Chris Waller, not only as a champion trainer but a person, after they combined to win the Group 3 Craven Plate at Randwick.

Champion jockey Joao Moreira paid tribute to Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller after they combined with Lindermann to win at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

“It’s just so easy when you deal with such a kind of a person, isn’t it?” Moreira said of Waller.

“He’s amazing, so talented as a trainer but he’s even better as a person.

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“So for me, he’s just making my life so much easier, treating me the way as he is. I’m extremely glad to be riding winners for him.”

Waller enticed the Brazilian superstar to Australia for the spring and Moreira has rewarded the trainer with a Group 1 Underwood Stakes win last month and Linderman’s success in the Group 3 $750,000 Craven Plate (1800m).

Lindermann ($4.20), bred and raced by Debbie Kepitis of Winx fame, had to work hard to edge out Spirit Ridge ($31) by a head with another Waller-trained runner, the luckless Democracy Manifest ($3.80 favourite) a long head away third.

“He wasn’t very lucky to get the split right away,” Moreira said. “But that might have just done him good because then he got that cover he was getting until he got halfway up the straight.

“Then I pulled out and obviously had the horse to go past and just win the race. He’s a very nice horse and it was a very nice win.”

'Magic Man found a way!' 🐇🎩

Lindermann gets the split under @cavaleiro83 and chases down Spirit Ridge to take the Group 3 Craven Plate at Randwick for @cwallerracing. pic.twitter.com/Z26JpMdphg

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 26, 2024

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Waller was at The Valley for the Cox Plate but he would have enjoyed watching Lindermann’s return to winning form which gave the trainer a third Craven Plate after his wins with Moriarty (2014) and My Kingdom Of Fife (2011).

Stable representative Charlie Duckworth said the fact Lindermann was held up in the straight added more merit to the win.

“I was actually amazed that they held Lindermann in for such a long time,” Duckworth said.

“He’s such a big boy, I thought he’d bullock his way out a bit easier than he did.

“But they rode obviously nice, true, competitive lines and he was fortunate to get out.

“Obviously it was unfortunate for Democracy Manifest that he got out with little time to respond.”

Duckworth said Lindermann’s win was a welcome boost for the Kepitis family after they lost their triple Group 1 winner Riff Rocket earlier this spring.

“Obviously, the Kepitis family has had a rough trot with Riff Rocket so it’s good to get an old boy like him (Lindermann) back to his best and winning on a big day,” Duckworth said.

“Full credit to the whole rehab team to get him to this point and to get him to win today.

“As for Democracy Manifest, he’s got a big one in him. We’ve just got to find the right day.”

Originally published as Champion hoop Joao Moreira lauds Chris Waller after landing another feature race win for the trainer during his Australian trip