Picture: Steve Hart
The Rosehill victory by Matusalem held further significance for his champion coach
Bettering stayer Matusalem has scored an emotional win for coach Chris Waller, reviving reminiscences of his late father John who was within the horse’s possession.
Named after his father’s favorite rum, the $4.80 betting web site favorite floor out a hard-fought victory over stablemate Monarch’s Brae ($11) to say the Congratulations James McDonald Handicap (2000m) at Rosehill and land his first Saturday metropolitan success.
Waller revealed the horse’s colors of purple with lilac sleeves and a purple cap had been his household’s silks for over 100 years and predated the coaching days of his great-grandfather Fred.
“These colors are my household’s colors,” Waller stated.
“Matusalem was my Dad’s horse, the final horse he raced. My Dad didn’t race many horses so I’m very proud to see these colors win.
“My grandfather and his household, and earlier than that as nicely, have raced horses for generations in New Zealand.
“However we’ve got not raced many horses in these colors in Sydney, so it’s a proud second for me.”
By Arrowfield stallion The Autumn Solar, Matusalem failed first-up on a heavy observe at Rosehill and was despatched to Melbourne in the hunt for firmer footing.
He carried out soundly in two begins there earlier than returning to Sydney the place he appreciated the enhancing mushy 5 floor on Saturday.
The victory was the gelding’s third in 13 begins and Waller stated he had an excellent opinion of the four-year-old who he hoped may proceed his trajectory.
“We thought sufficient of him to ship him down for Cup week within the spring,” he stated.
“However he obtained a temperature and it ruined his preparation.
“The Autumn Solar’s maintain enhancing with age and now he has that profitable feeling and he has his confidence again, hopefully he can go on with it now.”
Earlier within the day, Classique Legend’s half-sister I Am Well-known additionally notched an essential Saturday metropolitan win for the Waller steady within the Congratulations Zac Lloyd Handicap (1400m).
A $2 million yearling, the four-year-old has been a sluggish maturer however understanding many of the household comply with the identical sample, Waller and her house owners have been content material to be affected person.
“That’s what has given us the arrogance to not panic when she wasn’t displaying type and simply to sit down tight as a result of the household all get higher with time,” Waller stated.
“A Saturday win is a giant deal.
“On the pedigree web page, profitable a Saturday race in Sydney will be higher than profitable a black-type race in another jurisdictions.”
I Am Well-known has now strung collectively a hat-trick of wins and Waller says he’s seemingly to present her a break earlier than in search of a stakes aim down the observe.
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