Waller’s Kiwi recruitment drive continues

Chris Waller’s flagship New Zealand performers Who Shot Thebarman and Preferment have been joined by two more Kiwi recruits for the autumn.

The champion trainer has welcomed the lightly-raced three-year-old The Austrian Oak and the untried juvenile Fitzroy to his Sydney team.

Thorn Park gelding The Austrian Oak won one of his five starts from Roger James’ yard and hasn’t raced since he finished fourth behind subsequent Gr.1 New Zealand Derby winner Mongolian Khan in the Listed Jesters Pies Salver

“He’s hasn’t come into the stable yet, he’s still at the pre-training farm, but he looks a promising horse,” Waller’s racing manager Liam Prior said.

“Fitzroy trialled well the other day and he’ll run at Randwick on Wednesday. He looks like he’s got a good level of ability as well.”

A colt by Swiss Ace, Fitzroy was formerly with Nigel Tiley and was unbeaten in two trials with a Cambridge win in January following his first success at Avondale in the spring.

Meanwhile, the G.1 Auckland Cup winner and Gr.1 Melbourne Cup placegetter Who Shot Thebarman has progressed well since his bold first-up fifth in the Gr.1 Chipping Norton Stakes at Warwick Farm.

“He’s come back in terrific order and he’ll either run in the Skyline Stakes on Saturday or trial on Friday and go to the Ranvet a week later,” Prior said

“He’ll then run in the BMW and he’ll be very competitive over a mile and a half before the Sydney Cup.”

Zabeel’s Gr.1 VRC Derby-winning son Preferment has also pleased the stable in his build-up toward the $A2 million Gr.1 ATC Derby on April 4.

“He’s going great and just wants more ground,” Prior said.