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The players may change, but the result stayed the same as Chris Waller won a third consecutive Group 1 Turnbull Stakes on Saturday with Kings Will Dream.
Winx had won the race for the last two years, and while she is now enjoying retirement the yard continues to farm big-race successes as Kings Will Dream led home stablemate and Melbourne Cup favourite Finche for a Waller one-two on a superb day for the stable.
Hartnell, who won the race in 2016, ran another admirable race in defeat to take third.
Kings Will Dream’s victory capped a remarkable return to the track, as last October the horse nearly died from a broken pelvis suffered in the Cox Plate.
“It’s the most emotional moment I’ve ever had on a racecourse,” winning owner Brae Solkoski said.
“People don’t understand, he was on his deathbed, he was gone. There is something special about him and for him to come back like that is testament to his fortitude and character. It’s incredible and this is a true team effort.”
It was a day to remember for Waller, as he completed a clean sweep of Group 1 prizes in Australia. In addition to Kings Will Dream, Waller was on target at Randwick with Funstar in the Flight Stakes, Kolding in the Epsom and Come Play With Me rounded off proceedings in the Metropolitan.
Just for good measure, Waller also won the Group 2 Blazer Stakes with Haut Brion Her.
Waller said: “We’ve got a great team, and that’s what a great team does. We take it one at a time and hope for the best.” – Racing Post.