Chris Waller on verge of breaking record for most Group 1 wins in a season for a trainer

If Chris Waller can win another Group 1 race on the final day of the Sydney autumn carnival, it will give him 19 Group 1 wins for the season – and he still has the Adelaide and Brisbane carnivals to come.

Chris Waller can break his own Australian record for most Group 1 wins in a season at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

The champion trainer has brilliant mare Joliestar ($6.50) and Osipenko ($101) in the $1.5 million All Aged Stakes (1400m) and Michelangelo ($16) in the $1 million Champagne Stakes (1600m).

If Waller can win another Group 1 race on the final day of the Sydney autumn carnival, it will give him 19 Group 1 wins for the season – and he still has the Adelaide and Brisbane carnivals to come.

Waller equalled his own record of 18 majors last week with Group 1 wins from Via Sistina (Queen Elizabeth Stakes) and Fangirl (Queen of the Turf Stakes).

• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet’s team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

The Hall of Fame trainer’s potentially record-breaking 2024-25 season has been driven by champion mare Via Sistina with seven Group 1 wins and Lady Shenandoah’s three big-race wins.

When Waller set the Australian record of 18 Group 1 wins in 2018-19, he was helped by another great mare, the incomparable Winx, who also netted seven majors that season.

The only other trainers to prepare more than 14 Group 1 wins in a season were Tommy Smith and Bart Cummings.

Smith trained 17 Group 1 winners in 1979-80 including six majors from champion Kingston Town, and another four from Mighty Kingdom.

Cummings’ best season was in 1974-75 when he trained 16 Group 1 winners from 10 individual horses including Leilani with four majors.

There were less Group 1 races during the Smith-Cummings era but this should not detract from Waller’s outstanding season.

  

• Girl power: Why mares are dominating Australian racing

Joliestar is clearly Waller’s best chance of claiming the record when she lines up in the All Aged Stakes on Saturday.

She is already a big-race winner for Waller this season with her Newmarket Handicap success last month before an unlucky ninth to Briasa in the TJ Smith Stakes two weeks ago.

“It was a bit of a ‘slow zone’ on the fence last start and it was one of those races where she was made to look a little plain,’’ Waller said.

“But I can assure you she is ready to bounce back. I wanted her to draw out a little bit (barrier nine) so we can let her use her full ability.’’

Waller said Osipenko had “come back really well” but conceded the gelding, who is first-up in the All Aged, might find some of his rivals too sharp for him over 1400m.

“I’m not sure if he can win an All Aged but he is on track for Queensland and can be competitive in the Hollindale Stakes and Doomben Cup,’’ he said.

Michelangelo has been unplaced in his four starts including his fifth to Spicy Lu in the Fernhill Mile last week and Waller said the colt is a “rough chance” in the Champagne Stakes.

Originally published as Chris Waller on verge of breaking record for most Group 1 wins in a season for a trainer