Chris Waller has likened his Rough Habit Plate winner Sadler’s Lake to his former Queensland Derby winner Hawkspur as he prepares the son of High Chaparral for a Group 1 bid in the same race this Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival.
Sydney’s Chris Waller is confident Sadler’s Lake can run well in next month’s 2015 Queensland Derby. Photo: Daniel Costello.
The gun three-year-old was the market mover and jumped favourite in the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben Racecourse on Cup Day and saluted for the punters with a smart two length victory over Upham in his Queensland debut.
Two years ago Waller scored the winter three-year-old Triple Crown in Brisbane with Hawkspur winning the Rough Habit Plate followed by the Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) and then the Derby.
After an easy Rough Habit Plate success this year, Waller is hopeful Sadler’s Lake can continue on the same path and emulate the success of Hawkspur.
“This win will do him a lot of good and it is like what I did with Hawkspur, he won the three of them and he is a similar type of horse,” Waller said post-win over the weekend.
“He is maybe one step below the good horses coming through but ready to step up now.
“Queensland has been very good to me and it builds a horse’s confidence.
“Young horse with a scope of improving will improve quickly up here.”
The $150,000 Grand Prix Stakes runs on Doomben 10,000 Day on May 23 this year followed by the $600,000 Group 1 Queensland Derby (2200m) run over an amended distance back at Doomben with Eagle Farm out of action.
Following his Rough Habit win Sadler’s Lake has shot to the top of the futures Queensland Derby betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au at a current quote of $8.
He is followed closely in Queensland Derby odds but two other single figure hopes in Quick Strike ($8.50) and Werther ($9).
Another son of High Chaparral, Quick Strike is yet to race in the Sunshine State but is already Group 1 performed having finished fifth to Mongolian Khan in the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) in Sydney back on April 6.
His latest start was a disappointing seventh in a Benchmark 75 at Rosehill last Saturday, but as the race was run over an unsuitably short 1500m he is tipped to improve when stepped back up in distance.
Kiwi raider Werther also ran last weekend but in Adelaide, the Andrew Campbell-trained Tavistock gelding having run a brave second to the star, runaway winning filly Delicacy in the Group 1 SA Derby (2500m) at Morphettville.
Other notable three-year-olds high up the futures Queensland Derby odds at Ladbrokes include the Darren Weir-trained grey colt Master Of Arts ($11), Sunshine Coast-trained Choisir colt Worthy Cause ($11) who won the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic (1800m) at the Gold Coast in late April, Michael Nolan’s Toowoomba Guineas winner and Rough Habit third placed Jumbo Prince ($14), and Winx ($16).
Winx is another Waller-trained hopeful who also has the $500,000 Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) the weekend before the Derby, May 30, in her sights.
Last seen running second to Gust Of Wind in Sydney’s ATC Oaks on April 11, the daughter of Street Cry runs this weekend on way to the Group 1 features in the Sunshine Coast Guineas.
See below for the Top 20 hopes for the Queensland Derby 2015 then head to Ladbrokes.com.au to get in on the early betting at the right price!
