There are skills involved with being a great trainer that often go unseen, but in the case of Metropolitan favourite Durston, Chris Waller has again proven the master manipulator with a couple of gear changes.
The imported stayer arrived at his Rosehill stable for the spring as a last-start Caulfield winner, and it took just two runs for Waller to realise he needed to make changes, which have altered Durston’s path to the point where he is chasing a group 1 at Randwick on Saturday.
Chris Waller, with a couple of gear changes, has released the potential of Metropolitan favourite Durston.Credit:Bradley
Waller watched as the Sea The Moon seven-year-old ran through the bridle twice, effectively using all of his energy reserves by the top of the straight and dropping out.
“He was just running a bit freely,” Waller said. “He is a lightly raced, fresh young horse and just wanted to get out there and do it. We just had to say to him, ‘Just wait, there are two halves to the race’.”
Waller removed the cheekers, but the big change was fitting a Norton bit to give the rider more control. The response was immediate as Durston took out the Wyong and Newcastle cups to make him favourite for The Metropolitan.
“If you do it the wrong way, you can’t win any race, let alone a group 1,” Waller said. “He’s doing it the right way now. I haven’t had as big a response to a change in bit like with Durston.
“He has got confidence at the same time, and a couple of good rides, and he has also got on good tracks. He is just an exciting horse.”
Durston is a $3.40 favourite for the group 1, where Kerrin McEvoy takes over from James McDonald because of his 53kg handicap.
Waller might have another stayer he has turned around with a bit of tinkering in Hameron engaged in The Metropolitan. He has been $51 to $13 this week, after he caught the eye late in benchmark company last Saturday.
“We have got lots of gear that can help horses in many ways in Australia, and you need it with our racing,” Waller said. “It is a little unique on smaller tracks, and we probably tinker with gear more than elsewhere. There are changes you can make that you can see a difference from.
“With Hameron, we took the blinkers off him because he was quite keen with them on. It is another great example of a gear change.
“He just over-relaxed without them on Saturday, but he goes up 400m [in the Metropolitan], and from barrier seven he can be a lot closer and could be the big improver.
“We weren’t really going for this race, but he was strong through the line last week and when I saw a smaller field I decided to give him his chance.”
No Compromise and Kukeracha complete the Waller team for The Metrop, while Surefire and Francesco Guardi have taken the option of heading to Melbourne for a firmer track.
“No Compromise won the Queens Cup on a heavy track in the autumn, when he landed one out, one back, and this is his sort of race,” Waller said.
“We will ride where he is happy and he will be finishing on, while Kukeracha is a Queensland Derby winner that has been struggling but has drawn well.”
Waller also has the favourite, Zougotcha, for the Flight Stakes after she won two legs of the Princess Series. She saw off stablemate Madame Pommery in the Tea Rose Stakes last time, which is again a rival on Saturday.
“They are both primed to run well and ready for the test at the mile,” Waller said.
Hinged, Fangirl and Kiku make up a very competitive Epsom trio with all three still on the rise through the grades.
