Leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller has been sensationally backed from $9 into $2.55 with Sportingbet Australia to break Tommy ‘TJ’ Smith’s and Gai Waterhouse’s shared record for the most Sydney metro winners trained in a season.
“One punter had $2,000 on him at $4.20 and two weeks later had another $1,500 on him at $2.75 but we also took plenty of $400 and $500 bets on him at $9 when we opened the market towards the end of August,” Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said.
Racing Hall of Fame legend TJ Smith trained 156 Sydney metro winners in 1975/76 and his record was matched by his daughter and Hall of Fame trainer Gai Waterhouse in 2002/03.
Waller is currently sitting on 45.5 winners.
“He remains well and truly on record pace but he had a slow autumn last season and we’re banking on that again otherwise it will be an ordinary result for us,” Sullivan said.
Waller opened $1.05 not to break the record of 156 winners in a season but that price has ballooned to $1.47.
Waller trained 117 winners in 2010/11 and 124.5 in 2011/12.
Chris Waller to train more than 156 Sydney metro winners
Sportingbet Australia Market
Yes $2.55 (opened $9.00)
No $1.47 (opened $1.05)