Wonder Waller

With six of the 14 runners in the G1 Kennedy Mile, Chris Waller had the decks stacked in his favour and Sydney's champion trainer notched not just another top-level win but was also responsible for three of the first four home, led by Shillelagh (NZ) (Savabeel {NZ}), who had missed out on a run in the G1 Myer Classic earlier in the day.

The 6-year-old mare stayed on strongly to overhaul her year-older stablemate Tom Melbourne (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) after the OTI Racing representative had taken up the running from fellow Waller representative All Our Roads (NZ) (Road To Rock {Aus}), who faded to finish fourth. With a string of second-place finishes to his name, Tom Melbourne once again had to settle for the bridesmaid role but was nevertheless dogged in his pursuit of Shillelagh, chasing her all the way to the line to finish just a neck to the deficit. The pair drew three lengths clear of the Michael Kent-trained Wyndspelle (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) in third.

“I was very lucky to pick up the ride for Mr. Waller and the team,” said the trainer's fellow New Zealander, jockey Michael Dee, who was notching his second Group 1 victory. “She's been racing well and I was able to get on the back of the right horse and she took me right into the race and let down really well.”

Third behind Global Glamour (Aus) on her previous outing in the G2 Tristarc S., Shillelagh was recording her seventh victory and a second group win in 19 career starts.

Waller said, “Winning any race on Derby day is special and when it's a Group 1 it's fantastic. It doesn't get any better than Derby day. Shillelagh's a good horse and she's gone to a new level this preparation. She came to me from New Zealand in good form and she had been trained just up the road from where I'm from.”

Pedigree Notes…

The mating of the unraced Trocair (Aus) (Flying Spur {Aus}) with Savabeel (NZ) had already produced the G2 Brisbane Cup winner Tullamore Dew (NZ), while Shillelagh's younger sister Grazia (NZ) won the Listed Easter Classic earlier this season.

Trocair, a half-sister to G3 All American S. winner Our Nautique (NZ) (Pins), was sent to Pins herself and has a 3-year-old gelding by him named Sligo (NZ), while her sixth tryst with Savabeel the following fall led to a filly named French Success (NZ), who was sold for NZ$340,000 at Karaka this year. She also has an unnamed colt by Ocean Park (NZ). Click for the free Arion.co.nz catalogue-style pedigree.

Saturday, Flemington, Australia
CANTALA S.-G1, A$1,002,500 (US$767,261/ £586,740/€660,764), VRC, 11-04, Open Quality, 1600mT, 1:35.01, gd.
1–SHILLELAGH (NZ) , 52.0, m, 6, by Savabeel
             1st Dam: Trocair, by Flying Spur
             2nd Dam: French Tide (Can), by Dauphin Fabuleux (Can)
             3rd Dam: Miss Tidal Wave (Can), by Captain's Gig (USA)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-C R Grace & Mrs S Grace; B-C R Grace,
Central, (NZ); T-C J Waller; J-M J Dee; A$602,500. Lifetime
Record: 19-7-2-1, A$850,320. *Full to Tullamore (NZ), GSW &
G1SP-Aus, $661,589; and Grazia (NZ), SW-NZ. Werk Nick
   Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Tom Melbourne (Ire), 53.5, g, 6, Dylan Thomas (Ire)
–Roshanak (Ire), by Spinning World (USA). (5,000gns '12 Ylg
TAOOCT). O-O T I Racing (Mgr: T Henderson), Kiwiana, A & Mrs
P Goodfellow, D & Mrs D Miller, L Webb, Ms D McKeown, Ms
M Webb, W Bowker, J Higgins, Bobbin Along & Uthmeyer
Racing; B-Mr D. Ledwith, (Ire); T-C J Waller; J-G Boss;
A$180,000.
3–Wyndspelle (NZ), 52.0, c, 4, Iffraaj (GB)–Western Star (NZ),
by High Chaparral (Ire). (NZ$75,000 Ylg 2015 NZB National
Yearling Sale). O-Ms J M Campin, J R Frew, Mrs S E Hanna & N
P Randles; B-Mrs S D Hart, Auckland, (NZ); T-M C Kent; J-Craig
Williams; A$90,000.
Margins: HD, 2 3/4, SHD. Odds: 11.00, 4.00, 40.00.
Also Ran: All Our Roads (NZ), Radipole (Ire), Omei Sword, Sovereign Nation, Tosen Stardom (Jpn), Sense of Occasion, Egg Tart, So Si Bon, Dibayani (Ire), Lucky Hussler, McCreery (GB).
Click for the Racing Post chart.