Group 1 win was Comin’

Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller said Comin’ Through is likely to now take a break for the spring, after collecting a hard-fought Group 1 on Saturday.

The Doomben Cup winner held out stablemate Egg Tart in the $650,000 feature, having previously been placed in the 2017 Randwick Guineas and this year’s Doncaster Mile.

Waller said all his form was pointing towards a top-level win, for which he and fellow Kiwi Michael Walker combined for their compatriot, owner Sir Owen Glenn.

“It’s the best form in Australia, if not the world,” Waller told RSN 927’s Correct Weight.

“Take out Winx, you’ve got the best form in Australia – Gailo Chop, Humidor and Happy Clapper – they were the only four that beat him home [in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes].

“So that’s the best form around.

“We went to Queensland for a bit of confidence – and he ran second in the Doncaster prior to that.

“He just had no luck at the Gold Coast [Hollindale Stakes], he drew barrier three, he was three, four wide with no cover.

“Yesterday, it was a gem of a ride from Michael Walker – I don’t know how he got in, drew close to the outside gate, and he slotted in one off the fence going past the post for the first time.”

Waller said the ultimate gear change had helped Comin’ Through this preparation, which saw him win the Group 2 Ajax Stakes second-up, place in the G2 Apollo Stakes first-up and chase home Happy Clapper in the Doncaster third-up.

“He was a late starter, and just getting there at the end of the spring as a three-year-old,” Waller recounted.

“But we thought he’d be an Australian/Randwick Guineas type horse, and ran third in a Randwick Guineas.

“It just didn’t feel like we were quite getting the best from him, and now he’s been gelded, his record is probably slightly better than it was prior, and he was justified with a good Group 1 win yesterday.”

Waller said a race like the Makybe Diva Stakes might be an option for Comin’ Through in the spring.

He added that Cup runner-up Egg Tart remains an attractive proposition in the handicaps, and could be targeted towards an Epsom.

Waller said he was tinkering with the idea of running her in the G2 P.J. O’Shea Stakes (2200m) at the Sunshine Coast on June 2.

The trainer took his nation-wide tally of city winners beyond the 200-mark on Saturday, with a winner in three states – Comin’ Through, Jaminzah and I Am Serious.

And even though we are yet to officially hit winter, Waller confirmed Winx’s long preparation towards a tilt at a fourth consecutive Cox Plate was almost about to get going in its infancy.

“She’s good,” he said.

“She wouldn’t be far away from pre-training, probably another seven days.

“She hasn’t had Chris Waller near her, and Chris hasn’t had Winx bothering him either!

“So we’ve done our own thing the past five weeks, but it’ll start to ramp up in another seven days or so.”