Waller gives praise to Own The Morning initiative
Leading trainer Chris Waller has praised Racing Queensland’s Own The Morning initiative, which aims to introduce and encourage new owners into the thoroughbred industry.
The premier Sydney horseman, who also has stables in Victoria and on the Gold Coast, was the first trainer to speak at the four RQ owner events planned in the lead up to Tuesday’s opening session of a bumper Magic Millions sale.
Waller, Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch and Coolmore’s Tom Moore spoke at yesterday’s gathering at the Gold Coast sales complex where they provided insight about the sales process, buying horses and what to look for when inspecting yearlings.
Coolmore’s Justify (Scat Daddy) colt out of high-class sprinter Invincible Star (I Am Invincible), a probable seven-figure yearling, and the stud’s Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) first foal out of champion mare Avantage (Fastnet Rock) were paraded in front of the audience.
“[Events such as these] are very important and I’m recognising it more and more as I get a bit older, a bit more mature,” Waller told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“I’ve said no to these types of events a lot in the past, but I now see the importance of them in that you are an ambassador and if it makes a small difference towards bringing new people in or giving people a bit more confidence in the industry [then that’s a good thing].”
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will speak at today’s Own The Morning event, The Everest (1200m)-winning syndicators Jamie and Tom Walter of Proven Thoroughbreds will speak on Sunday and emerging Queensland trainer Jack Bruce is slated for Monday’s final gathering.
Waller said racing in the Sunshine State had taken giant strides with the investment in prize-money and infrastructure, particularly the redeveloped Gold Coast turf track which is set to host the Magic Millions carnival over the next two Saturdays.
“We have seen what some of the other states have been doing and you’ve seen how quickly they’ve gone ahead in the past few years, but they [RQ] haven’t just sat idle, they’ve made things happen, and I think the Gold Coast track is a huge step forward, the prize-money’s heading in the right direction… and the prize-money and the racing surface in the next two weeks is as good as anywhere around the world.”
The Own The Morning Series on the Gold Coast is free of charge and available to all comers at 8am for 8.30am sharp at the Racing Queensland marquee on the Magic Millions complex.