‘He’s got X-factor’: Chris Waller

Chris Waller will have up to seventeen runners at Rosehill, five of them Group 1 winners, but it is one horse that has him especially excited.

When asked to nominate the galloper he is most looking forward to seeing on Saturday, Waller didn’t hesitate to name Kovalica, who has the Epsom Handicap as his early-season target.

“He’s got X-factor,” Waller said.

“I like horses with winning strike rates. They win when they’re over short distances, long distances, wide draws and that’s Kovalica.

“He’s by Ocean Park, they keep improving at four and I don’t just think he’s a 2400-metre horse, I think he’s a bit sharper than that.”

Kovalica has won six of his nine starts, putting his name in lights during the winter carnival in Brisbane where he swept home to capture the Queensland Guineas (1600m) before running boldly against seasoned campaigners when third to Huetor in the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m).

He rounded out his preparation with a classy win in the Queensland Derby (2400m) and after two solid trials, Waller won’t be surprised to see him in the finish when he resumes in the Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) on Saturday, despite the distance being short of his best.

“He’s got a big weight and tricky draw (barrier 10) and it’s 1300, but as long as he’s finishing off, we’ll be rapt,” Waller said.

With Zougotcha and Militarize scratched to contest other races on the program, Waller will have three runners in the Theo Marks, Madame Pommery and Waterford joining Kovalica in the sprint.

The winner of the Thousand Guineas last spring, Madame Pommery resumed with a slashing second to Pericles last month, that horse subsequently confirming the form with his Tramway Stakes win.

“It was a bob of the head first-up and the form has been franked with Pericles coming out and winning last week,” Waller said.

“She gets a good draw again (barrier one) and it’s a suitable race, against the boys as it was last start, so she only has to repeat her last run and she’s right in the finish.”

Track specialist Waterford also presents with solid claims and perhaps significantly, will be racing for the first time as a gelding.

He was given an extended spell after failing in the Doncaster Prelude, his only unplaced effort at Rosehill in five starts, and from a good draw in three and light 53.5kg impost, Waller wants him to stand up and be counted.

“We want to see a good run from him. He’s got a lovely weight, a good jockey (Tyler Schiller), and a good draw so he’ll be right in it,” he said.

“Where we head to, I don’t know. He’s either an Epsom, Big Dance or Five Diamonds type horse.”

The Theo Marks Stakes has produced upset results for the past two years with Kiku successful as an $18 chance 12 months ago and Chat bobbing up at $31 in 2021.