Chris Waller a way off the finish line, but … ‘I’ll be honest, I can see a day’
Chris Waller, one of Australia’s leading trainers, talks about life at the top, and what the future might hold.
Chris Waller has a sincerity of effort that takes your breath away. His dedication remains pure. After 4433 wins, 167 Group 1 triumphs, the Winx phenomenon, two Everest triumphs, a Melbourne Cup victory and half a billion dollars in prizemoney, he’s still having a good time as a trainer … but admits he might not be in it for the longest time.
Waller is as amiable and respectable as anyone in Australian sport. A clean-shaved, bright-eyed, soft-talking, gritty sort of gentleman. Impeccable in his work ethic. Quietly going about his business in suit and tie. You won’t find him rowdily holding court in a bar on Everest Day. He’s more likely to have his snout buried in his laptop. Or he’ll be hiding out the back of Royal Randwick to watch his runners on TV. In peace. On his own.
He’s intricately, exquisitely passionate about his trade and cares as deeply as ever – but for the first time, the 51-year-old Hall of Famer admits the high-profile, mega-pressure, intensely scrutinised job can take a serious personal toll. We’re having a chat before he leads Joliestar into The Everest and Fangirl into the King Charles III Stakes on Saturday.
Us: First question might be daft. Apologies. Comes from my daughter. Does a racehorse even know it’s in a race against other horses?
Waller: Not daft at all. My answer is yes, they definitely know. I’ll use Fangirl as an example. I’ve got a daughter and she’s got a pony. I’ve got my own pony. We go down and do the ponies on a Sunday afternoon. Now, outside of racing, Fangirl behaves like my daughter’s pony. In fact, she’s quieter than a pony. Yet you can put Fangirl on a racetrack and she turns into a different animal. She knows why she’s there. She’ll run through a brick wall for you. She’ll run fast. Then you get her back in the stable and you deadset think, ‘How can she go from acting like a little pony to being one of the fastest racehorses in the world? How does that happen in the blink of an eye?”
Us: Answer?
Waller: “It’s a great question. I’m still trying to work that out myself. I think it’s because they’re just natural competitors. They love it. I see it all the time. They finish a race and come back home and they’re as happy as can be. The next question is, in terms of the competition, do they know where the finishing post is? I think they learn it pretty quickly. For the better horses, it becomes a habit. They know where the end is. The jockeys are great judges and they’re sending the horses the right messages when it comes to timing and everything else. Ability will take a horse to the front because it’s better than the rest – but inside that, you’ve got different horses with different approaches to it. You’ve got horses that enjoy chasing. You’ve got horses that like being in front. A horse, like a car, only has a certain amount of petrol. That’s what I have to respect and judge.”
Us: Meaning?
Waller: “They will work for you and they will try their hardest for you – as long as you keep everything within their capabilities. You can’t let them run out of petrol. That’s a big part of it. You have to know how far they can go. You can’t push them any further. Like, we could run our second-tier horses against Fangirl in the King Charles, and they wouldn’t win, and it would break their hearts. You’d struggle to get them back to that level again. You’re always trying to not over-race your horses, you’re trying to put them in the right races, you’re trying to help them peak at the right times. When all that is in order, I believe they’re loving every second of it.”
Us: Massive success over an extended period can make
people soft. They rest on their laurels. You’re still going hard. Why?
Waller: “Well, there’s a little bit of expectation that creeps into your thinking by now. When you’re sort of an established sportsperson, you’re expected to get the same results, week in and week out. If you have a quiet month or two, you starting hear the voices: ‘Maybe he’s lost it.’ Even if no one is actually saying it, you’re hearing it yourself. You want to meet everyone’s expectations, and your own. What also drives me is – our team is pretty proud of where we are. We’ve got 120 staff. They like working for a leading stable. They like working with Fangirl. They like working with Joliestar. They like having runners in The Everest. They like winning races. They’re so proud when our team does well. That still drives me. Probably more than anything.”
Us: Bart Cummings was training in his 80s. You never have to retire in this game. Do you expect to go forever? Or see a day when you walk away earlier than people might expect?
Waller: “I’ll be honest, I can see a day. I’m not sure when. I can see a day when I’ll step back and say, ‘Wow. I’ve given my all. I’ve given this everything I’ve got but I think I might be done.’ I can see a day when I think, ‘I can’t give it my absolute best anymore.’ And that’s when I might very quickly say, ‘That’s it.’”
Us: Perhaps younger than the norm among trainers?
Waller: “Possibly. Quite possibly. I want to stay driven by it, but I want to be driven by other things in life as well. I don’t want to lose sight of family and life. I put a lot into this. I’m not going to go on any more about that. But yeah, some days, you can feel like you’re pushing the boundaries.”
Us: What still gets you pumped about an Everest day?
Waller: “It’s interesting, I’m actually looking forward to Saturday night. There’s no footy on at the moment to go home and watch, which is unfortunate, but I do enjoy Saturday night after a raceday as big as this one. The whole week is exciting and a thrill but it also takes a lot out of you. Saturday night and Sunday is when you can release and relax. That’s enjoyable. Having said that, by Monday morning I’m ready to go again for the next challenge. After The Everest comes the Cox Plate. All your thoughts and energies start moving towards that. I just need that one day in between to unwind. It’s similar to the Melbourne Cup. Cup week is racing on Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. I come home on the Thursday and need to catch my breath – but then I’m raring to go back on the Saturday.”
Us: What will you do this Saturday night?
Waller: “I’ll have a nice takeaway meal with my family. Keep it pretty simple and then have a quiet day on Sunday. A couple of tidy-up jobs. I’ll rest up after The Everest and be well-prepared to go again on Monday morning. I’ll probably have a glass of wine on Saturday night.”
Us: “Just one?”
Waller: “I’ll probably have two. And then I’ll be buggered.”
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