Karaka Graduates Help Waller Break Record

Two alumni of the Karaka sale ring played a starring role as champion expat New Zealand trainer Chris Waller enjoyed a record-breaking treble at Rosehill today.

Waller went into the meeting with 166 metropolitan wins in Sydney this season, needing another two to beat the record of 167.5 that he himself set in 2012-13.

Win number 167 came courtesy of the Premier Sale graduate Harlem Lady (NZ) (Zabeel), who won by a length in an A$85,000 Benchmark 85 event (1500m).

Pioneering (Sebring) became Waller’s 168th winner two races later, and then the Karaka weanling sale graduate Marenostro (NZ) (Duelled) capped the day with a tenacious victory in the feature race – the A$150,000 Winter Challenge (1500m).

Ridden by Tye Angland, Marenostro raced close to the pace before throwing down a challenge to the leader Oxford Poet (Dylan Thomas) more than 500 metres from home and outgunning that rival down the straight to win by half a length.

“We’re very proud of the record,” said Waller, a familiar face on the Karaka buyers’ bench. “Our stuff are just doing a fantastic job 52 weeks of the year.

“It’s the last Saturday of the season today but they’ll be there tirelessly tomorrow and they’ll be there Monday for the start of the new season.

“So I’m proud for them and obviously proud of the support we get. It’s a big thing. We’re all here every Saturday doing our best, as all the other trainers are, and the competition is so great in Sydney.”

The win was Marenostro’s 10th from 29 career starts, boosting his earnings to A$455,550. That’s 22 times as much as he cost when he went through the sale ring in the 2011 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale at Karaka, snapped up by Phill Cataldo from the draft of Dormello Stud for $20,000.

Bred by Denise Howell, Marenostro is out of the Last Tycoon mare Maybe Yes, who is a prolific dam of 10 winners from 13 foals to race. Marenostro is one of four stakes performers, the others being Group 1 Avondale Gold Cup winner The Mighty Lions (NZ) (Grosvenor), Singapore stakes performer Promise Keeper (Success Express) and the Listed performer Grandissima (NZ) (Savabeel).

Harlem Lady is by Zabeel out of the multiple stakes-winning mare Jazzella (NZ) (Black Minnaloushe) and was bred by Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan, Peter Woods Family Trust, Tee Pee Racing Ltd and W M Woods.

Offered by Cambridge Stud at the 2013 Premier Sale, Harlem Lady was bought by Chris Waller Racing for $140,000. She has now had three wins from 14 starts and earned A$168,450 in stakes.

Marenostro

Harlem Lady