In the depths of winter, Sydney’s leading stable’s two-year-olds begin to emerge.
While some of Sydney’s major stables target features like the Golden Slipper and the Blue Diamond Stakes, Chris Waller’s proven formula relies on bringing juveniles to the track late.
Tumultuous and High Mist will be the latest Waller-trained two-year-olds to tackle a Saturday grade race in the Hyland Race Colours 2yo Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill.
Waller sees Tumultuous as a Group Three Gloaming Stakes hope, a three-year-old race the champion trainer won last year with subsequent Group One winner Vanbrugh.
“I think the more racing he has the better he will get,” Waller said.
“1400 metres is perfect for him for Saturday, but in the spring I think you’ll see him get out to a race like the Gloaming Stakes possibly, which is 1800 metres.”
Tumultuous broke through for an easy maiden win at Kembla Grange last start on July 4.
That form improved after the Gai Waterhouse-trained Dynastic Lady, third in the race at Kembla, won at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
Waller said since the win Tumultuous had improved and impressed the trainer in his trackwork.
High Mist is raced by the Ingham family and carries their famous cerise silks.
They were also carried by Japonisme, another Waller-trained horse produced as a late season two-year-old before going on to score an elite-level win at three.
At High Mist’s last start at Rosehill on July 2, he finished sixth in a race where Waller-trained two-year-olds Awoke and Foxplay filled the quinella.
“High Mist was disappointing last start through the fact that he over-raced and never gave himself a chance to finish off,” Waller said.
“He’s better than that.”
A gear change could be the key to getting the colt to show his true colours on Saturday.
“For Saturday we’ve taken the blinkers off and that will hopefully see him settle better and finish off better,” Waller said.
Tumultuous is an $11 chance while High Mist is $15 to score the second victory of his career.
A win for either in the opening race at Rosehill will give Waller one of the six wins he needs to break his record for most Sydney wins in a season.
