Chris Waller is confident Wootton Verni can measure up to Melbourne’s spring features in time, but the champion trainer is in no rush with the developing import.
He is therefore pleased to have a race as lucrative as this Saturday’s Rosehill Gold Cup to send him to.
The son of Wootton Bassett will chase back-to-back wins for the campaign in the 2000-metre event, which this year moves to Randwick.
It will be the first start for Wootton Verni since his breakthrough win in the $240,000 Group 3 Coongy Cup (2000m) at Caulfield on October 15 and Waller considers the $750,000 event the perfect stepping stone.
“There are 750,000 reasons why,” Waller said when asked of the reason he sent the gelding back to Sydney.
“He’s found form, but he’s still a year away from Melbourne Cups and things like that, so that was the reason.”
Wootton Verni scored his first win in Australia in the Coongy Cup, which came at his first start at 2000m since coming from France and took his career record to six wins from 15 starts.
A Northern Hemisphere four-year-old, his biggest win in France was the Group 3 Prix Greffulhe (2100m) at Saint Cloud, where he was also runner-up in the Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam (2000m) at his final start before coming to Australia.
Wootton Verni has been a work-in-progress for Waller, who has been encouraged by what he saw in the Coongy Cup but still got some kinks to iron out before he’s ready for a crack at the top level.
“Last start was certainly much better, but he’s still quite keen and aggressive.”
Wootton Verni was ridden to victory by Damian Lane at Caulfield but has the services of James Mcdonald this weekend.
The $3 favourite is one of four runners for Waller, to be joined by $9 third elect Imperialist (Rachael King) and outsiders Mutasalem (Jason Collett) and Scarlet Oak (Zac Lloyd).
