Chris Waller knew two starts ago he had a serious horse in Lindermann and on Saturday the three-year-old justified his trainer’s faith with a dogged performance to fight back and win the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas.
Waller was given a hint of the colt’s talent in the spring when he defied a wide passage to go down narrowly in a stakes race during Cup week.
But it was Lindermann’s win under Nash Rawiller in a benchmark race at Rosehill last month that affirmed his promise.
“Nash woke him up two starts ago when he won over 1400 here and it has been the making of him,” Waller said.
“It really announced him to say you can be put under a bit of pressure and still give at the end. Same in the Randwick Guineas, he had to do all the work and he still ran second.”
Lindermann’s ($6.50) toughness again shone through in the Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on Saturday when he made the running before Pericles ($2.30 betr fav) ranged up ominously on the outside and poked his head in front.
But under Rawiller’s vigorous urgings Lindermann responded, finding a second wind to come back and beat Pericles by a half-head.
“He got eye-balled by the favourite with 300 metres to go and he lifted off the canvas,” Waller said.
“He has really learned to fight and at the same time matured as a man.
“He showed us a glimpse of ability at Flemington back during Cup week at 1800 and from that point on we said, ‘we’ll set him for this race’. It doesn’t always come off but it has today.”
Waller is leaning towards dropping Lindermann back in distance for the Doncaster Mile (1600m), rather than extend him to the 2400m of the ATC Australian Derby but both options remain on the table.
Stablemate and Victoria Derby winner Manzoice settled last and was beaten more than eight lengths into sixth but jockey Kerrin Mcevoy said the tempo of the race didn’t suit the horse and expected him to be much better suited in the Australian Derby.
