Waller confident Wodeton is poised to deliver for Wootton Bassett
Master trainer Chris Waller believes a bigger and stronger Wodeton (Wootton Bassett) is ready to write another chapter for his boom sire and enhance his own stallion credentials in a campaign which resumes in Saturday’s San Domenico Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m).
And with Wootton Bassett’s (Iffraaj) progeny having proven especially versatile in the northern hemisphere, Waller says Wodeton’s three-year-old spring could yet include him competing up to 2000 metres—which potentially brings onto his horizon races like the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) and Spring Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m).
Wodeton became his sire’s the main flagbearer among several prominent runners as Wootton Bassett shone sufficiently through his first Australian crop to have his service fee hiked to a national record of $385,000 (inc GST).
The Coolmore shuttler finished second on the Australian first-season stallions’ table with ten winners, yet despite the hype, the well–proven sire failed to land a stakes winner with his debut southern crop.
Coolmore colt Wodeton came closest to providing him with a headlining success.
Bred by John Camilleri and bought by Coolmore’s Tom Magnier at Magic Millions Gold Coast for $1.6 million, Wodeton began with a bang when scoring by 3.9 lengths on debut in a Rosehill two-year-old handicap in mid-January.
That ensured he would be a short-priced favourite in his next two starts, but he managed only a 2.4-length third in Beiwacht’s (Bivouac) Silver Slipper Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) and a 0.7-length second to another Godolphin runner, Tentyris (Street Boss), in Randwick’s Todman Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m).
Wodeton went to the Golden Slipper (Gr 2, 1200m) still with strong support as a $7 second elect, but after being slowly away had to come from 13th on the turn before ultimately running a gallant second, just failing by 0.1 lengths to catch Marhoona (Snitzel).
Connections persevered with one more start in the ATC Sires’ Produce (Gr 1, 1400m). Second-favourite again, Wodeton travelled three-wide without cover and turned in another brave run, but missed the placings with a 0.6-length fourth behind Vinrock (I Am Invincible).
With most onlookers scratching their heads over how a seemingly inevitable two-year-old stakes success hadn’t come, Wodeton was spelled with a win and three placings from five starts, though his earnings of $1.08 million served as hefty compensation.
Five months later, the colt has returned in fine order, Waller says, with two barrier trials leading into Saturday—a second at Randwick, to Marhoona’s stablemate and fellow Group 1 winner Manaal (Tassort), and a sixth on the synthetic at Warwick Farm.
Waller said Wodeton had furnished into an imposing-looking colt and he expected him to run well in the San Domenico, although the 1100 metres would likely not suit him as much as the longer trip in his main initial stallion-making target, the Golden Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) on September 27.
“He’s come back really well and matured nicely, which is what you hope to see with two-year-olds turning three,” Waller told ANZ News.
“He’s a bit bigger and stronger, and has naturally progressed. I felt he had the scope to grow and develop, and he has.
“The 1100 metres might be a bit short. He’s a horse that gets back in his races, so 1100 around Rosehill is not easy, but he’ll run well and it’ll set him up nicely for the Run To The Rose and then the Golden Rose.”
The second foal of Adelaide Listed winner Fiera Vista (Exceed And Excel), Wodeton has gate two of nine for James McDonald in the San Domenico, for which he was rated a $3 second favourite on Friday behind $2.30 shot Raging Force (Cosmic Force).
Wodeton may have missed a two-year-old black type win, but Waller reflected that while it was often the barest of margins that made such a difference to a potential stallion CV, there was much merit in his first campaign.
“A bit of bad luck went against him,” he said. “He was beaten such a small margin in the Golden Slipper. That was heartbreaking, but he was the first colt home. He could’ve easily got the bob of the head and won, but he didn’t.”
Still, Waller is excited by what lies ahead in the spring and has good cause to believe Wodeton—and Wootton Bassett—will soon have the Australian stakes success to go with their reputations.
The program for the colt to achieve it is a spring canvas full of possibilities. Waller said Wootton Bassett’s northern hemisphere record—with his 15 Group 1 winners scoring from 1200 to 2850 metres—helped open myriad opportunities for Wodeton.
A succession of five races, each two weeks apart, could be in store—the San Domenico, the Run To The Rose (Gr 2, 1200m), the Golden Rose, the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) and Moonee Valley’s Cox Plate or Randwick’s Spring Champion Stakes, both on October 25.
“Wootton Bassett is doing an amazing job and I’m watching them so closely,” Waller said of the 18-year-old, whose first Australian crop has also brought other Group placegetters in colts State Visit, Gallo Nero, Pallaton and West Of Swindon, and the filly Wiltshire Square.
“The difference between Wootton Bassett and a lot of stallions is there doesn’t seem to be a distance range. It seems to be they can get a trip, and that could be a game changer for the Australian market if Wootton Bassett can do that here, and can get 2000-metre horses.
“That’s what we’ll learn about Wodeton in the spring, as to how far he gets if we need to get that far.
“Will he get to 2000 metres? I wouldn’t say it just yet. But there’ll be Group 1 winners by Wootton Bassett over 2000 metres here in a very short time.”
As for Wodeton’s immediate plans, Waller said: “He’s obviously a future stallion, so we’ll tick the Golden Rose box first.”
While Waller will start Wodeton for the Coolmore navy blue in the San Domenico, he’ll also have the Godolphin royal blue running thanks to Beiwacht, one of the horses he’s acquired recently after Sheikh Mohammed’s empire moved to a public training model.
Beiwacht notched stakes success at his third start in the Silver Slipper, at $17, but his first campaign tapered off with a ninth in the Todman and an 11th in the Slipper, at $61.
“Beiwacht has come back very well,” Waller said of the colt, who has gate nine for Adam Hyeronimus.
“He’s a sharp and exciting speed horse. He’s drawn a little awkward but did win the Silver Slipper from barrier seven, on the same track and distance. He’s got speed and he’ll probably be better suited to 1100 than Wodeton.”
Meanwhile, the highest earner in the San Domenico field, Rivellino (Too Darn Hot), resumes after a busy first campaign of three wins from five starts, for $1.7 million in earnings.
Bred by Queenslanders Scott Murray and Brian and Pat Ireland, and bought by trainer Kris Lees and Bahen Bloodstock for $180,000 at Inglis Classic, Rivellino won his first three starts, highlighted by the rich Inglis Millennium (RL, 1100m) and then the Skyline Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m).
The second foal of three-time winner Intrinsic (So You Think), Rivellino made huge ground from 15th at the 400-metre mark to finish a 2.4-length fourth in the Golden Slipper, before running on the pace for a 0.7-length fifth in the ATC Sires’ Produce.
With Rivellino having had two casual barrier trials, Lees said he was pleased with how the colt had returned as a three-year-old, and that the Golden Rose would determine whether he goes to the Caulfield Guineas, or reverts to sprints for the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
“He’s in good order. He may find them a bit sharp at the 1100 metres, but I thought his trials suggested he’d run well,” Lees said of Rivellino, an $8.50 chance who has gate one for his Skyline pilot Jason Collett.
“He’s a bit stronger. He’s never going to be a real big horse, but I think he’s come back in good order. He’s a fraction taller, and has got more growth to come, I’d suggest. Raceday will give us a better indication but I can’t fault him at this stage.
“I think 1400 metres will ultimately suit him. Whether he gets to a mile or we freshen up and come back to 1200 metres, that’ll be determined as we get deeper into the prep.
“The Golden Rose will be a fork in the road as to whether he’s a Coolmore or a Guineas horse.”
Lees was delighted with Rivellino’s first preparation.
“We asked a fair bit of him, but he aimed up right the way through,” he said. “His Slipper run was terrific after he stepped slow. I’m not saying he was a good thing beaten, but you could make a case that he should’ve won.
“I think he’s a good, tough colt with a great attitude, and he’s got a bit of quality. He’s quite tenacious. He only does what he has to in his trackwork, but if he works with someone he just does enough to get past them. I think he’s the right style of horse.
“The San Domenico looks a good quality race, and we’ll know where we sit after it. I think he’ll go well, but they’ll all improve off the run.”