Chris Waller To Target Scone Cup
Grahame Timbrell 5th May, 2016
Last year Chris Waller ran sixth in the Emirates Park Scone Cup with Strawberry
Boy, his only runner but this year he could be planning a two pronged attack on the
feature at the Friday meeting on May 13.
Waller has nominated Amovatio which won the Hawkesbury Gold Cup last Saturday
and last year’s Scone cup winner Tales Of Grimm.
Amovatio’s Hawkesbury win was his first since resuming following a successful
campaign in Melbourne last winter and spring.
That included winning the Listed Winter Championship final at Flemington and the
Listed Weekend Hussler at Caulfield.
Last year Tales Of Grimm won the cup when prepared by Sam Kavanagh but soon
after the horse was switched to Chris Waller with Kavanagh later disqualified for nine
years for breaches with other horses.
Tales Of Grimm followed up his Scone cup win by running second in the
Hawkesbury Gold Cup then was given a long spell.
In two starts since resuming he has run 11th at Randwick then was beaten four
lengths when seventh in last Saturday’s Hawkesbury Gold Cup.
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The Tamworth trained Crooked Blaze has been pleasing trainer Leon Davies since
resuming and will aim for a first up win in the Country Cup at the Friday meeting.
Last year Crooked Blaze ran second behind the Bjorn Baker trained Encostanati in
this race before going on to win a minor race at the Grafton carnival.
This year Davies plans to return to Grafton with the four year old to tackle the
Ramornie.
“He did really well during his break and his work the other morning was really
encouraging,” Davies said.
“He was not out to break any records but he went to the line full of running and the
girl who rode him said she could not hold him any slower.
“The horse is sure to get a fair bit of weight so James Innes Jnr will ride him in the
Country Cup.
“James has ridden him at his last two starts, he is riding well and he knows the
horse.”
Both Friday and Saturday’s meetings have metropolitan status with Innes still having
a 3kg metropolitan claim.
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The Mac Griffith trained Pera Pera is also headed for the Scone cup and is in great
form.
In four starts since resuming he has won successive races including the Central
Districts heat of the Country Championships then ran second in the final behind
Clearly Innocent and second in the Tamworth Cup behind Chrysolaus.
Clearly Innocent is headed for the Listed Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) at the Saturday
meeting.
He was given eight days in the paddock after the final by trainer Greg Bennett and
was not asked to do a lot when second in a trial at Wyong on Monday.