The racing fan in Chris Waller is even more excited about Saturday’s Golden Eagle due to the presence of all-time great Frankie Dettori.
The trainer who has dominated Australian racing for the past decade with champion Winx and stars like Nature Strip and Verry Elleegant is still a fan of the sport at heart.
Frankie Dettori will ride in the Golden Eagle and the Big Dance in Sydney next week. Credit:Getty
“It’s a great honour to have him riding for me,” Waller said. “He’s one of my idols as a horseman. It’s a huge statement for Sydney racing and Australian racing that Frankie would come out for the Golden Eagle and shows where the race is on the world stage.”
Dettori will ride Welwal for Waller at Rosehill on Saturday and stay in Sydney to ride the Lloyd and Nick Williams-owned Hosier in the Big Dance at Randwick on Tuesday, in a further coup for Sydney racing.
Dettori, who has had 17 attempts to win the Melbourne Cup, with his best results second places on Central Park in 1999 and Max Dynamite in 2015, had been eyeing another shot at the Flemington staying classic on Tuesday. But after talking to Nick Williams, he was happy to ride for his old friends in the Big Dance.
“It’s funny, I rang Frankie to have a chat, and he told me about the Golden Eagle and asked if we had a Cup ride for him,” Williams said. “I said, ‘No we don’t, but you can win the Big Dance for us’. It’s great to have him on Hosier.”
Dettori is a regular rider for Al Shaqab Racing, which sent Welwal to Waller in Australia after he was down the track in the French 2000 Guineas and the French Derby after scoring three wins.
The Shalaa colt has only had two barrier trials since arriving in Sydney during the winter, but has shown enough ability for Waller to look right to the top of the European jockey ranks.
“With the jockeys split between Sydney and Melbourne because of the two big meetings, there was an opportunity to bring someone in,” Waller said. “Frankie rides for the owners and he knows the horse, so it was good he could come.
“We think Welwal has been a bit under the radar since he’s got here and we are expecting to him to run better than his odds.”
Welwal was a $101 chance for the Golden Eagle at the weekend but by the time the field was made final on Tuesday he was into a $15 hope, and will probably start shorter given the interest in Dettori.
Dettori had his visa approved on Monday and will fly in on Friday for Golden Eagle day. Waller has been able to give a couple of rides outside the features on Saturday and Tuesday.
“I’m so, so much looking forward to coming to Sydney this weekend to ride in the Golden Eagle, so make sure you tune in,” Dettori told the ATC.
