Colts' Gentlemanly Demeanour Key to Waller's Golden Rose Ambitions

One of the primary difficulties with colts is maintaining their racing focus, so Chris Waller's success in preparing five of them for the Group 1 Golden Rose is a significant achievement. The accomplished trainer is fielding Campione D'italia, Tron Bolt, St Gotthard, Stormy Marco, and Central Europe in Saturday's coveted stallion-making race, with all five described as well-mannered and attentive three-year-olds.

Waller credits his approach of housing colts in a separate barn from fillies and mares, along with his staff's proficiency in keeping them content and stress-free, for their ability to perform at their highest level.

"They're absolute gentlemen," Waller remarked about his quintet of Golden Rose contenders. "I'm going to give my team a wrap because it's how they handle them, how they ride them, how they look after them. And I think it's their ability as well, the horses. But if they're not under pressure they're enjoying life, and they're not under pressure."

St Gotthard currently leads Waller's charge in the betting for the Golden Rose (1400m) at $4, following his first career defeat when narrowly outpointed by Saturday's rival Warwoven in the Run To The Rose (1200m).

Jockey James McDonald remains on board, and Waller is confident that the full brother to emerging sire Switzerland will have no trouble stretching to 1400m for the first time. "His first-up run was good. James was very pleased, so that gave us the confidence to press onto this race," he stated. "The 1400 metres should be no problem. He relaxes well. He's still learning. First-up he did a few little things wrong but once he irons them out, he's a very good horse."

As one of the least experienced runners in the Rosehill feature, alongside Castillo King, St Gotthard's lack of racing polish could be a factor. However, Waller views this as an opportunity for further development. "In my opinion, he's still got upside as well. A lot of the horses he'll be racing may have plateaued, where he is still on the up," Waller explained. "So, while I see negatives with inexperience, I see a lot of positive things with him still improving."

While the Run To The Rose has been a successful launching pad for ten of the last 14 winners, Waller has charted a different course for Campione D'italia and Stormy Marco. Stormy Marco, after finishing runner-up in the Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) while conceding weight to winner Persian Wonder, has drawn comparisons by Waller to his 2018 Golden Rose winner, The Autumn Sun, who also experienced a lead-up race defeat in the former Stan Fox Stakes (1500m).

"The Autumn Sun came out of that type of race," Waller noted. "It was a distance he (Stormy Marco) was competitive over and he just peaked on his run with fifty to go with the big weight." Waller is seeking his fifth Golden Rose title and second consecutive victory, following Beiwacht's triumph 12 months ago.

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