Chris Waller’s historical achievements seem to have no limits

Source: Ray Thomas, racingandsports.com.au

Chris Waller’s historical achievements seem to have no limits as the champion trainer closes in on his all-time record for most Sydney winners in a season.

Waller goes to his home track meeting of Rosehill Gardens on Saturday within sight of his record of 189 metropolitan wins set in 2018-19.

There are eight Sydney race meetings including Rosehill remaining this season and Waller needs another 16 winners to equal the record.

It might be a bridge too far for most but the Waller stable is surging at the back end of the season and the record, albeit unlikely, is not entirely out of the question.

Since the start of May, there have been 19 Sydney or metropolitan-status race meetings with Waller training 37 winners. If he can maintain his strike-rate of virtually two winners each metropolitan raceday, he will challenge his 189-win mark.

Waller’s has a powerful entry at the Rosehill meeting runners in seven races including the four favourites – boom two-year-old Omolong ($2.10) in the Thank You ATC Members Handicap (1100m), Hello Captain ($1.85) in The Chase (1300m), Nasebah ($3.70) for the TAB Handicap (2000m) and Tarzing ($2.70) for the Petaluma Handicap (1400m).

With 173 metropolitan winners so far in 2025-26, Waller already has the second highest number of Sydney winners in a season and if he can win multiple races at Rosehill on Saturday, the record chase is on.

Waller’s treble at the Hawkesbury provincial meeting on Thursday took his number of winners on all racetracks for 2025-26 to 353 – equalling his previous best set five seasons ago.

The Hall of Famer will set a new personal-best for his stable on Saturday with leading chances at five venues including Caboche in the Listed $500,000 Caloundra Cup (2400m).

It has already been a season to remember for Waller who has set standards that were unthinkable just a few years ago. They include:

• 22 Group 1 winners, breaking his previous record of 19 set in 2024/25.
• 69 Group or Listed winners, an all-time record.
• Stable prizemoney of $78.25 million and counting, which has smashed the previous record of $60.4 million set by Ciaron Maher.

Waller is also about to claim 16th successive Sydney trainers premiership although the legendary Tommy Smith’s world record of 33 titles in a row seems unreachable.

Perhaps Waller’s premiership dominance could be challenged in years to come with Maher moving into the 125-box Crown Lodge stables at Warwick Farm, thus significantly increasing his presence in Sydney racing.

But Waller’s 2025-26 season heroics have established records even the champion trainer himself might find difficult to surpass in coming years.