Fifteen minutes after registering his 11th Group One win for the season, trainer Chris Waller has claimed the Rosehill race named in honour of his induction to the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.
The Waller-trained Comin’ Through beat stablemate Egg Tart to win Saturday’s Doomben Cup in Brisbane then I Am Serious scored an decisive win in the Chris Waller Hall of Fame (1400m).
Ridden by James McDonald, I Am Serious ($3.50 fav) drew away to beat La Chica Bella ($10) by 1-3/4 lengths with Princess Posh ($6.50) another short half head third.
Waller was in Brisbane for the Doomben Cup meeting but as usual was well represented by his stable staff on whom he heaped praise at his Hall of Fame induction on Friday night.
The winner of three races in the country for Taree trainer Bob Haire, I Am Serious has now on another three in town under Waller for the Haire family.
“It was a good ride and a good and fitting it was in this race,” Waller’s stable manager Charlie Duckworth said.
“This mare has improved. First-up she hit a flat spot but she has got better with each run.
“And it’s great to win for the Haire family who have come here today and we are very happy to have been sent a horse by Bob Haire.”
Riding at his first Saturday meeting since his return from an 18-month ban for a betting offence, McDonald added the race to his earlier win on Dia De Reyes in the Highway Handicap.
“She is a beautiful mare and her last-start win was good,” he said.
“And it’s great to win for a new inductee to the Hall Of Fame in Chris.”
Duckworth said Waller would decide the next step for I Am Serious who was the stable’s only Sydney winner for the day, taking Waller to 151 for the season as he powers towards his eighth Sydney premiership.
The Australian Turf Club paid tribute to all the Hall of Fame inductees including former jockey Malcolm Johnston who rode Kingston Town who shares the Cox Plate record with the Waller-trained Winx with three apiece.
