Master trainer Chris Waller hunts first Melbourne Cup winner with Verry Elleegant and Finche
He’s won just about every big race you could imagine, but there is one that continues to elude top trainer Chris Waller — and it’s the big one. Go inside the thinking of the Waller stable as he prepares Verry Elleegant and Finche for the Melbourne Cup.
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Chris Waller doesn’t remember too much about his first Melbourne Cup runner.
Maybe he doesn’t want to.
“We were in front on the first lap — but not the second one,’’ Waller recalled.
It was 2009 and the then-emerging Sydney trainer watched on as his imported stayer Warringah led past the winning post the first time before eventually fading to run last, beaten 50 lengths by Shocking.
It wasn’t the result he had been dreaming of but it fuelled his desire to try and win Flemington’s big two-miler.
Some 11 years later, he’s close. A third placing with Who Shot Thebarman in 2016, a fourth with Kelinni in 2012 and top-10 finishers for the past four years in succession.
Is this the year? At Flemington on Tuesday, Waller will be represented by Verry Elleegant and Finche.
They are arguably the best winning chances he has had in the race that stops a nation.
Verry Elleegant has emerged as the nation’s premier horse this spring, winning three Group 1 races in four starts — including her Caulfield Cup defeat of English Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck.
She was penalised a half-kilogram for her Caulfield Cup win and will carry 55.5kg in the Melbourne Cup. The only mare to carry that sort of handicap and win was the great Makybe Diva.
She set a weight-carrying record for a mare when shouldering 55.5kg to win her second Cup in 2004 then completed her famous three-peat in 2005 under 58kg.
Waller has a take on her rehandicap.
“It’s a concern but it’s not something to dwell on, it’s probably an honour, to tell you the truth,” he said.
“We have to remember what she has won and that’s the reason she has that weight.
“She is a very good horse with a big heart but she will need that heart on the first Tuesday in November.’’
Verry Elleegant provided Waller with his first Caulfield Cup win, so can the mare do it again and give the trainer the Melbourne Cup he wants so much?
“I’ve always said the Caulfield Cup is traditionally the best lead-up race,’’ Waller said.
“It might have changed a little bit in recent years but at least we have the Caulfield Cup winner going into the Melbourne Cup.
“For the last three seasons she has won over 2400m at Group 1 level and I don’t think the distance is a problem, although we have to make sure she switches off and settles.
“We respect every runner but let’s hope there is not a superstar in the race to beat her.’’
If Verry Elleegant is beaten, Waller is hoping it will be Finche.
This is Finche’s third Melbourne Cup — and he’s overdue for some luck in running.
Finche, a son of English superhorse Frankel, began his race career in France but joined the Waller stable two years ago and ran fourth in the Melbourne Cup behind Cross Counter.
Waller set Finche for last year’s Cup and the big chestnut started favourite at $8.50. He was never on the track yet still ran bravely to finish seventh, beaten just over a length.
“Finche hasn’t had much luck in his two Melbourne Cup runs,” Waller said.
“The effort told last year when he just had to do a bit too much work and, from memory, it wasn’t much better the year before.”
“If he can draw a barrier and get a nice run he will be fighting out the finish.
“I had a look at him on a video call the other day and he’s very fit.’’
Waller has not been able to travel to Melbourne this spring due to the quarantine restrictions imposed by the government to negate the COVID-19 threat so he has needed to rely heavily on modern technology to prepare Verry Elleegant and Finche.
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But he also trusts his stable staff to put into practice the training programs he has detailed.
“We have two significant satellite stables at the Gold Coast and Flemington so having to train horses from out of Sydney is pretty normal,” he said.
“I remember flying down to Winx’s first Cox Plate on the morning of the race.
“And my first Group 1 win with Triple Honour, I was away at a friend’s wedding three days before the race.’’
Waller’s right-hand man in Sydney is Charlie Duckworth. He has been with the trainer 12 hours a day, seven days a week and knows him better than most. Duckworth said Waller’s attention to detail is perhaps his greatest strength.
“Chris doesn’t let the little things slip,” Duckworth said.
“He does all the ‘one per centers’ and when you keep doing that, it starts to add up in your favour.
“He leads from the front with his work ethic, too. He’s usually one of the first at the stables every morning and he says hello to every member of his staff. He treats everyone the same and the staff respect him for that.’’
Verry Elleegant is not the most relaxed racehorse in training and she can be her own worst enemy at times, but Waller has worked hard to improve the mare’s racing manners and that is bearing fruit this spring.
She is on the verge of becoming only the fourth mare to complete the coveted Caulfield-Melbourne Cups double after Rivette (1939), Let’s Elope (1991) and Ethereal (2001).
Waller has learnt from the past two Cups, particularly last year, and hopes to give Finche his best opportunity to finally win it.
“Chris had Finche so fit for the Cup last year but if there was a race after it, he would not have been running,’’ Duckworth said.
“This spring, Chris has followed almost the same program but with one less lead-up race.
“Finche is slightly heavier than last year but is as fit as we can get him.
“He does have genuine two-mile form, too.’’
Waller has been training for just over 20 years but has already prepared the winners of more than 3000 races — including 115 Group 1s.
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He’s won most of the major races in Australia except the race he covets most, the Melbourne Cup.
“I think a Melbourne Cup would mean everything to Chris,’’ Duckworth said.
“From my perspective, growing up in England, it is the only race you get up early in the morning every year to watch.
“We can’t be at Flemington for the race this year but we won’t be complaining if either Verry Elleegant or Finche wins the race.’’
Waller said his first “vivid memory” of the Melbourne Cup was watching the Snowy Lupton-trained Kiwi’s incredible last-to-first effort in 1983.
“We lived at Foxton and the Lupton family only lived about an hour away,” he said.
“They became household names after Kiwi’s win.
“Jim Cassidy rode Kiwi and he became a bit of a superhero in my eyes.
“Then later in his career, Jim rode for me and won his 100th Group 1 on a horse I trained, Zoustar (2013 Coolmore Stud Stakes), which was very special.’’
Waller’s time is coming.
Originally published as Master trainer Chris Waller hunts first Melbourne Cup winner with Verry Elleegant and Finche