Premier Sydney trainer Chris Waller has his sights firmly set on the AAMI Golden Slipper with impressive Canterbury winner Jade Marauder.
The Fasnet Rock filly is being aimed towards the 2012 Group 1 $3.5m AAMI Golden Slipper (1200m) to be run at Rosehill on Easter Saturday, April 7.
Waller won’t be intimated by his main rivals of Gai Waterhouuse, Bart Cummings, Peter Snowden, John Hawkes and other Golden Slipper winnning trainers, including multiple Slipper winner Clarrie Connners.
In fact Waller aadmits that it is to his advantage to be training in Sydney amongst this elite group of trainers as he says he is a a very good student among the best trainers in the world.
“The beauty of training in Sydney is that you are training against the best trainers in the world,” Waller said.
“Peter Snowden, Gai Waterhouse, John Hawkes is my next-door neighbour at Rosehill. Bart Cummings, Clarry Conners and there are plenty more I haven’t named.
“If you can’t learn from them there is something wrong.”
Jade Marauder, who was ridden by in form jockey Glyn Schofield came from well back in the field to score a commanding win over Almighty Charge and Rampaging in the 1200m Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale 2yo Plate at Canterbury on Saturday.
Stable followers cashed in nicely, backing the filly from $4 into start the $3 favourite, but weren’t always confident of collecting when Schofield had her closer to last than first before the home turn.
But when Schofield asked Jade Marauder to lengthen stride, her followers were cheering and she quickly had the Gai Waterhouse pair of Almighty Charge ($9) and Rampaging ($4.60) covered.
Waller seems fairly relaxed about the lead up to the Golden Slipper and says he is where he wants to be with the filly and won’t have to push her.
“We have plenty of time up our sleeve, which is something I have struggled with in the past, getting the timing right,” Waller said.
Jade Marauder also impressed Waller with the amount of improvement the filly has made since her debut run back in October when she was 3rd behind Hussousa in the Listed Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) at Randwick.
Waller has picked out the Listed Widden Stakes (1100m) at Warwick Farm on February 18 as her next assignment on her way to the Golden Slipper.
“There’s no rush, the goal is to be running in the Golden Slipper and performing well,” he said.
Schofield is also a great fan of the Jade Marauder. “I think they are going to have a lot of fun with her,” he said. “She’s going to improve over a tad further and will benefit from the experience.”
