It is hard to imagine a time when Chris Waller wasn’t regularly leading in winners.
Sydney’s premier trainer for the past two seasons, Waller has hundreds of horses on his books, often multiple runners in a single race and recently set up a satellite operation in Melbourne.
Danleigh
But it hasn’t always been like this.
It wasn’t so long ago the former New Zealander was just another face trying to make a living training horses in Sydney.
It was a long, tough slog and one Waller hasn’t forgotten.
It is one he is reminded of each time he saddles up stable stalwart Danleigh.
“He’s helped change my life,” Waller said.
“When he started with us I hadn’t trained a Group One winner, I was struggling to make a name for myself and things were tough.”
That was six years ago in mid-2007, just months before the equine influenza outbreak which wiped out the industry for months.
When Waller finally got the gelding to the racetrack for two starts the following autumn, including a win in the Liverpool City Cup, injury struck.
Danleigh suffered a bone fracture which Waller feared would end his career.
“That was really disappointing. We thought we had a handy horse that may never race again,” Waller said.
Of course, Danleigh did make it back and both he and Waller have reached the pinnacle of racing since then.
There have been many highlights, four Group One victories chief among them.
“He’s run seconds in Stradbrokes and seconds behind champions and yet he’s won four Group Ones himself, including a Manikato which was my first interstate Group One race,” Waller said.
“Prior to that he won an All-Aged Stakes and he’s won a George Ryder and a Chipping Norton.
“He’s given me a lot of confidence as a trainer and he’s taught me a lot.
“He is part of the furniture.”
At Randwick on Saturday, Danleigh and Waller will continue their journey.
The nine-year-old will line up for his 61st start – the 27th at Group One level and fourth in a Doncaster.
It is a phenomenal achievement from a horse whose career looked to be over five years ago, and from the trainer who has nursed him through it.
“You hear people time and time again talking about old horses `oh they love it, they want to be in the stable’,” Waller said.
“Well there is no truer thing about this horse, he’s like a two-year-old.”
Waller says the Doncaster has been a bogey race for Danleigh.
He struck an undesirable heavy track one year and had no luck when fifth to stablemate Rangirangdoo in 2010 when Waller believes he “possibly could have won the race himself”.
At nine, Danleigh is a $51 chance and the roughest of Waller’s four runners on Saturday.
On face value, his chance to claim Australia’s most famous mile might have passed him by.
Waller has a different view.
“He just needs a bit more luck then he used to need in his races,” he said.
