Leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller continued his outstanding winning run when he quinelled the Group 1 $500,000 Kirks Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben today.
Import Beaten Up wins Chris Waller's 2nd Doomben Cup at Doomben. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Waller who won five races at Rosehill last Saturday and five Group 1 races over the Sydney Autumn Carnival is a runaway leader in the Sydney trainer’s premiership.
Winning jockey Leith Innes brought English import Beaten Up with a well-timed run to hold off stablemate Foreteller with Secret Admirer also hitting the line hard for third.
The race completely changed complexion over the final fifty metres after Brad Rawiller shot Manighar away early in the straight to what looked like a winning break.
With the winning post in sight Beaten Up emerged from the pack to provide Waller with his second Doomben Cup victory after winning in 2010 with Metal Bender.
A final decision to run in today’s Doomben Cup wasn’t made until after the barrier draw on Wednesday with Waller also accepting for the Scone Cup on Friday.
Coming up with barrier one at Doomben made the decision easy after drawing an outside gate at Scone.
“It was only the final decision made on Wednesday when we saw we got a good barrier draw. We knew he had the potential to perform very well in the UK and he just lost his way a little bit,” Waller said.
Waller had keep Beaten Up to shorter distances in his lead up races with the intent of teaching him to settle in his races and was rewarded with a Group 1 win.
“We haven’t panicked all the way through and kept him short of his best distance which is obviously 2000m and teaching him to relax ,” Waller said.
“Full credit to Leith Innes he did get him to switch off today from a good barrier and that wins group one races.”
Waller will send Beaten Up straight to paddock before preparing him for the Spring with the Group 1 $1m Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington one of his main targets.
The Peter Moody trained Manighar hung on to run fourth just in front of stablemate Lights Of Heaven.
