Waller Seeks Fifth Doncaster In A Row

Chris Waller has won the G1 Doncaster Mile an amazing six times, and has made the race his own since securing his maiden Group 1 win in the race in 2008 by winning the last four editions. While success in the 2016 race came via Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}), Waller's four probable starters on Saturday don't provide such a water-tight chance but it would nevertheless be no surprise to see the trainer continue his iron grip on the contest. Among Waller's quartet of McCreery (GB) (Big Bad Bob {Ire}), Endless Drama (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Arod (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Antonio Giuseppe (NZ) (Shocking {Aus}) it is the first named that seems to be the pick of the trainer's foreman Charlie Duckworth. “He was very competitive in these sort of races in the spring – in these Group 1 handicaps – and he's obviously gone from strength to strength since,” Duckworth told Racing.com. McCreery, formerly trained in England by Roger Charlton, was never involved behind his illustrious stable-mate Winx last time out in the G1 George Ryder S. but had previously beaten Arod in the G3 Liverpool City Cup. He had also shown a Group 1 could be in his grasp when second to Le Romain (Aus) (Hard Spun) in the G1 Cantala S. at Flemington last October. “He was fantastic first-up this prep in the Liverpool Stakes and he's back down to a reasonable weight – he's only a small horse – so back to 52kgs on his back, he should be right in the mix,” Duckworth added.