Talented colt Nikitas has arrived at Chris Waller’s Sydney stable from Queensland to be prepared for a Group One spring campaign.
Kelso Wood trained Nikitas for his two-year-old campaign which resulted in a win and a second to Capitalist in the rich Magic Millions Classic.
The colt’s owners now include Woodside Park which is keen to get him a Group One win to bolster his future stud career.
“There are not many options for him in Queensland and the owners want to get him ready for the Golden Rose and the other big three-year-old races,” Waller said.
“We’ve got stables at Flemington and Rosehill so it makes it easier and opens up the options for those races.”
Waller has also taken charge of New Zealand colt Thunder Down Under who will have one start for the stable as a three-year-old before season’s end.
“He will have a barrier trial at Rosehill on Friday and then run at Canterbury on the 23rd,” Waller said.
“He is a lovely big colt with some good form.
“We will get him ready for some middle distance races.”
Thunder Down Under had 17 starts in New Zealand for trainer Stephen Ralph including a Group Three third in the Bonecrusher Stakes in September last year.
Ralph had hoped to get him to the Queensland Derby but he finished fifth in a Group Two race marred by a fall which gave Thunder Down Under no chance to run into the top two and earn enough to get into the Classic.
Thunder Down Under was given a short break and has come to Waller on the back of two 1600m-wins at Ellerslie and Ruakaka.
Ralph, a part-owner of Thunder Down Under, said the prize money in Australia was a major factor in sending him across the Tasman to Sydney’s leading trainer.
