TRAINER Chris Waller brought his Sydney autumn carnival form to Queensland but the spring looms as an even bigger stage following Metal Bender's win in the group 2 Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast, reports the Sunday Age.It says: Metal Bender caused an upset when he toppled group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Road To Rock by 1╝ lengths in the 1800-metre feature. The Gai Waterhouse-trained Gold Water filled the minor placing a further short head away.Waller was concerned at the start of the
TRAINER Chris Waller brought his Sydney autumn carnival form to Queensland but the spring looms as an even bigger stage following Metal Bender's win in the group 2 Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast, reports the Sunday Age.
It says: Metal Bender caused an upset when he toppled group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Road To Rock by 1╝ lengths in the 1800-metre feature. The Gai Waterhouse-trained Gold Water filled the minor placing a further short head away.
Waller was concerned at the start of the week when the Gold Coast track was rated heavy but his confidence soared following a track upgrade to slow.
''He's a very good horse and Hughie Bowman rode him well,'' Waller said. ''I'm very fortunate to be able to train him and he'll run in the Doomben Cup next. It's very good prizemoney here in the winter but after the Doomben Cup, he'll have a break and we'll look at the big spring races in Melbourne.''
Waller was always confident the son of Danasinga would improve in Queensland despite failing at his previous two starts in the group 1 T J Smith (1200 metres) and group 1 All-Aged Stakes (1400 metres) at Randwick.
''Those races were too short for him and he was always looking for longer,'' he said.
Bowman will stay with Metal Bender in the group 1 Doomben Cup (2020 metres) in a fortnight after replacing suspended rider Damien Oliver. ''I was lucky to pick up the ride when Damien [Oliver] was suspended and I'm staying on for the Doomben Cup,'' Bowman said.