Leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller continued his amazing winning run with three year old Sacred Falls taking out the Group 1 $2m BMW Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick today.
Sacred Falls wins trainer Chris Waller's third Doncaster Mile at Randwick. Photo by .Steve Hart.
Waller collected a Group 1 winning double after saddling up three year old filly Royal Descent to win the Group 1 $550,000 Patinack Farm Australian Oaks (2400m) fifty minutes earlier.
The former New Zealand colt, who has only been under Waller’s care for this Autumn preparation, was able to win the top trainer’s third Doncaster Mile after winning with Triple Honour in 2008 and Rangirangdoo in the 2010.
Waller was able to freshen up Sacred Falls following his second to Kiwi sensation It’s A Dundeel in the Group 1 $500,000 M. J. Bale Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill three weeks ago.
“He was third up in a tough 2000m behind It’s A Dundeel. I knew then I had him where I needed to be and just backed off him and freshened him up,” Waller said.
Waller saddled up four runners in the Doncaster and was rewarded with the winning performance by Sacred Falls who had already won at Group 1 level in New Zealand claiming the Group 1 NZ$300,000 Sothy’s 40th NZ 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton Park on November 10.
Winning jockey Tommy Berry will now head to Hong Kong in a couple of weeks full of confidence after winning his second Group 1 of the BMW Sydney Carnival following his sensational win on Overreach in the Group 1 $3.5m Tooheys New Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill.
“Two races you want to win is a Golden Slipper and a Doncaster and I did both in the one season,” Berry said.
Berry said that Sacred Falls was always travelling well through the heavy ground and was confident at the top of the straight that he would be hard to beat.
“He got chopped out at the start so I was a little bit further back than I wanted to be, but he always felt like the winner in the run and when Nash went for Pierro I was very happy to see that cause I was still on the bit.”
Sydney’s super colt Pierro was gallant in defeat and under 57kg fought all the way to the line to go under by three quarters of a length to finish second with the filly Norzita another three quarters of a length away in third spot making it an all three year old finish.
Pierro, the $3.50 favourite sat just behind the pacemakers with Nash Rawiller getting a split at the top of the straight and after fighting off the challenge of Norzita ($11), was unable to hold out the strong finish of Sacred Falls ($19).
