A progressive horse on an upward spiral, a dual Group placegetter mixing form, and an import with untapped potential comprise Chris Waller’s team for the $500,000 The Coast at Gosford, and the champion trainer can make a case for all three.
Rotagilla arrives at Saturday’s showpiece in form after a resounding second-up win at Randwick, his sixth from 17 starts, and while connections have been content to let him work his way through the grades, the Listed The Coast (1600m) shapes as an ideal litmus test of his black-type credentials.
“Timing wise, he has been racing when the carnivals have been on, and we’ve just taken him through his grades. We haven’t had to run him in Listed races until now,” Waller said.
“He has got better every preparation, and second-up he was good. He won with authority.
“He is a genuine Listed, Group Three type of horse and he gets his chance for massive prizemoney.”
Lord Penman was runner-up to Group 1 winner Linebacker in the Silver Eagle (1300m) last spring and after returning to win first-up at Rosehill in February, hopes were high for his campaign.
While he did place in the Doncaster Prelude (1500m) two starts ago, he underwhelmed connections when finishing worse than midfield over 1400m last time out, prompting Waller to extend him in trip.
“He’s been disappointing this ‘prep’. He is working really well at home, but he’s not doing it on race day,” Waller said.
“I watched his last replay a few times, and I thought the last 100 metres of his race was a bit better than I initially thought, so he might be looking for a strong mile.”
Former European Sir Dinadan rounds out his squad for The Coast after beating all but Rotagilla last start at just his second appearance in Australia.
Stakes placed overseas and fifth in the 2025 Irish Derby (2414m), Sir Dinadan is the unknown quantity of the trio and has shown Waller enough speed to take his place in The Coast, rather step out to the 2100m of the Gosford Gold Cup.
“We are talking about Rotagilla as a good chance, and this horse is ready to peak now,” Waller said.
“He has had a couple of runs in Australia and he’s a decent horse.
“He ran in some 2400 metre races in the UK, but I actually think he’s got a bit of speed, and he showed that last start.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if any of the three won. Lord Penman needs to improve, but I know he’s got the ability, Rotagilla has got that sense of winning, but Sir Dinadan could end up the best of the three.”
Rotagilla and Lord Penman are $7 apiece in early markets with Sir Dinadan a $10 chance.
