Lightly raced import Sour Mash has turned the corner and trainer Chris Waller expects the five year old to continue his his new found form at Warwick Farm tomorrow.
Sour Mash is expected their recent good form at Warwick Farm - photo © Steve Hart
Sour Mash is going for back to back Warwick Farm wins when he lines up in the Markey Saddlery Benchmark 85 Handicap (2200m) after leading all the way over the same course and distance as tomorrow’s race when he chalked up his second win for the Waller stable.
The premiership trainer took over the training of the English stayer after he scored over 2006m at Newbury in England last September when prepared by Ed Dunlop.
“These English imports can all of a sudden turn the corner,” Waller said.
The Danehill Dancer gelding was struggling to show Waller any glimpses of winning form until he stepped him up in distance and the import finally showed his staying ability with a narrow win over 2200m at Scone’s stand alone Guineas day on May 19.
“He needed to show something that day at Scone and he got out and made a race of it, plus he was up in distance for the first time and got the job done,” Waller said.
Sour Mash has maintained that form with a close second at Rosehill when he tried to lead all of the way before his last start Warwick Farm victory when he was left in front again.
Waller is adamant that the promising stayer is not just a front runner and is training the five year old to settle in his work with the view to be able to ride him back in the field.
“He’s got a great turn of foot on the training track now so when the day arises we’d like to have him in a trail third, fourth, fifth rather than being an out and out leader,” Waller said.
“If you can do that you’re going to come unstuck which was the case two starts ago and was almost the case last start.”
Corey Brown is again on Sour Mash after getting him home at Warwick Farm when wearing a black armband in a mark of respect to part owner Ben Wright who passed away from a sudden heart attack the night before.
“He hasn’t got much of a dash on him but he’ll grind all day,” Brown said after the Warwick Farm win.
“Next time in, once the penny drops, I think there’s a nice race in him.”
The Waller trained stayer has been posted the $2.75 favourite for tomorrow’s staying test in front of last start Caulfield winner Urban Explorer at $4.40 with the Peter Snowden trained Peck next in the market at $5.25.
Topweight Mr Tpsy is the only other runner under double figures at $9.50 and will still have to carry 58.5kg even with the 3kg claim for apprentice Lauri Wray.
