They weren’t the famous blue and white silks that caused Chris Waller some stress in Sydney, but the same colours undoubtedly caused the premier trainer a few nervous moments at Kembla Grange on Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Waller’s star mare Winx – undoubtedly the world’s best racehouse – chalked up a record 26nd consecutive victory in Sydney on Saturday.
Meanwhile, promising four-year-old Plagiarist scored in nail-biting fashion in the Markey Saddlery Maiden Plate (1400m) at the Illawarra Turf Club. Plagiarist, which will never scale the same heights as her stablemate, only ever looked like winning at the 100m mark.
Jockey Lee Mogorrian had to ease his way off the fence and look patiently for a run in the straight. But when he punched into open air, the four-year-old extended clear of stablemate Coltrane, with the Anthony and Edward Cummings trained Singla Glory in third. Just an hour earlier, Waller watched on in Sydney as his superstar Winx took out the race despite a few nervous moments as the field rounded the bend.
“I thought I was near my top. She was struggling at the pact of the distance. She balanced up and the saw the winning post. She is incredible,” jockey Hugh Bowman later told Fairfax Media.
Warwick Farm trainer finished the card with a Kembla double after Lighting Nic ran away with the last race on the card. Highly-rated apprentice had earlier piloted Little Red Shoes to a comfortable victory in the Brock Ryan Benchmark 66 Handicap (1000m). Kembla Grange will take a short break before racing resumes in September.