It’s a strategy that champion trainer Chris Waller has employed for many years and it proved successful once more when Kapakiri ($3.20F) saluted in the Toyota Forklifts Handicap over 2000m.
Having boxes based on the Gold Coast gives Waller the opportunity to transfer horses that aren’t competing up to Sydney metropolitan grade and provide them with as easier task to help get them back onto the winner’s list.
The son of Kermadec had been thereabouts in recent midweek and provincial races in New South Wales before Waller set him for two races at Eagle Farm and the Sunshine Coast, both proving fruitful.
The four-year-old gelding has bounced out of those victories and returned to Sydney a Saturday metropolitan winner. He pulled away from a much-improved Dreamflight ($41) by a length and a quarter with Rogue Bear ($12) a long neck back in third position.
Waller was pleased to see the turnaround in form up north and that his galloper could reproduce it back in Sydney.
“He’s always shown us ability and then we sent him up to Queensland and they’ve done a great job with turning his confidence levels around,” Waller said.
“He came into the race with some good Queensland form and he justified it with a really good win.
“It’s easier up there and they get a winning feeling.”
Despite being his first race ride on Kapakiri, rider Tommy Berry knew he was on a winning hope as soon as he legged up. After serving a lengthy suspension earlier in the year, Berry has started to hit his straps of late.
“This bloke as soon as I cantered him down to the start I thought what a lovely horse,” Berry said.
“He’s a beautiful big boy with a lovely stride and that tempo today really aided him. Off that he’ll be able to get over much further.
“I don’t have to tell you how good he (Waller) is, we all know. So you just get a lot of confidence when you’re riding for him and good to get another one for him today.”
