News

Chris Waller Sets New City Training Record

6th Jul 2013

AAP Racing - Caryl Williamson - Saturday 06 July, 2013

It was inevitable but no less emotional for Chris Waller who finally passed the Sydney training record held jointly by TJ Smith and Gai Waterhouse at Rosehill on Saturday.

Waller went to the meeting on 155-1/2 wins for the season, just a dead-heat short of the mark and got the job done early with his first runner of the day, Oompa Loompa in the second race.

Under hard riding from Nash Rawiller, Oompa Loompa led all the way in the Become An ATC Sponsor (1200m) to hold off Mount Nebo by a short half head.

With his wife Stephanie and parents John and Marilyn trackside, Waller fought back tears of relief at the job well done but not yet finished.

"The pressure has been there the last month," Waller said.

"It's been a long season and I don't take it for granted.

"It is a relief. I'm no genius as a trainer.

"We've just got good systems in place."

Those systems have delivered two premierships and and a runaway lead in a third with the season to finish at the end of the month.

Waller is also this season's leading Group One trainer with nine elite wins courtesy of eight different horses.

But he won't be resting on his laurels.

"We went into the autumn last year leading by about 45 and Gai whittled that down to four or five," Waller said.

"We don't sit back and relax. There's not much we can change but just keep coming to the races to get winners."