Waller Camp Bullish Wolf Can Scare Rivals
6 December, 2018
Thoroughbred
Champion trainer Chris Waller has already enjoyed plenty of success in Western Australia’s feature races, but he’s hungry for more in this weekend’s Group 1 Magic Millions-Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot with tough gelding Mister Sea Wolf.
The seven-year-old, to be ridden by Rory Hutchings on Saturday, produced an encouraging performance in the Railway Stakes (1600m) on November 24, where he finished fifth behind Galaxy Star.
Mister Sea Wolf is rated a $34 chance with TABtouch for the final Group 1 race of 2018, but Waller’s stable representative Charlie Duckworth said he expected further improvement from the galloper in his second Perth run on Saturday.
“There’s a little bit of clutching at straws hoping they have handled the travel as well as you’d hoped,” he told TABradio.
“His work had been good…we were confident he had come through it well.”
Mister Sea Wolf made his debut in Sydney when last year’s TABtouch Masters series was on and has since gone on to win two Listed races in New South Wales in his first year of racing in Australia.
The gelding’s most recent win came at Hawkesbury in August and has since gone on to perform admirably in three Group 1 mile races at Randwick, Flemington and Ascot.
Duckworth said despite the admirable Group 1 performances on the east coast, the Kingston Town Classic shaped as the most winnable race at the top level for Mister Sea Wolf.
“Obviously the Epsom is an ultra-competitive Group 1,” he said.
“Realistically, he’s not going to get his Group 1 in the middle of the spring carnival.
“This is certainly a Group 1 he’s capable of taking out.
“We’ve got a bit of confidence in Rory…he’s a very cool and relaxed character.”
Waller won the Kingston Town Classic in 2014 with Moriarty, who held on in a thrilling finish to beat then three-year-old Disposition, while he also won the Railway Stakes in 2015 with Good Project, pictured above.
The Waller stable will also be represented by three-year-old Orcein in the Listed TABtouch-Sir Ernest Lee Steere Classic (1400m) at Ascot on Saturday.
Orcein had to be scratched from the WA Guineas on November 24 due to an elevated temperature.
Despite the setback, Duckworth said the gelding was in top condition for the $100,000 event.
“We’ve scratched him and gone to plan B,” he said.
“Since then, his work has been good.
“His work on Tuesday morning was sharp.
“The 1400m might be a little bit short of his best.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we try and use the barrier and ultimately we might try and lead the field along.”
Waller’s Perth pair could kick start a prosperous weekend for the stable, with in-form sprinter-miler Comin’ Through set to tackle the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile (1600m), one of four Group 1 races on the International meeting.
Saturday’s Kingston Town Classic jumps at 4.50pm.
Tim Walker