Chris Waller ‘bullish’ on Angel Capital’s Everest potential

Waller will speak to the four-year-old’s owner Yulong about Angel Capital’s next Group 1 target after a hard luck defeat last Saturday in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

Waller has to win a Group 1 with the striking son of Harry Angel to stamp the future Yulong stallion’s stud credentials.

“I got to win a Group 1 with him,” Waller said on Sunday at the Flemington Stables Open Day.

“We’ve got to find a Group 1 and try and get the right Group 1.”

Rupert Clarke horses would typically advance to the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) next month at Caulfield.

“I don’t really think he needs to go to a Toorak, not really,” Waller said.

“I’ll have a talk to Yulong and see what they want to do … I’m pretty bullish about his chances at an Everest.

“It’s easy for me to talk it up because if I talk him up we’ll get interest in a slot, whether Yulong want to take him up, I don’t know.”

Yulong, an Everest slot holder, has committed early to Private Harry after the racing and breeding juggernaut invested in the boom then undefeated colt early in the year.

Private Harry resumed last Saturday with a moderate fifth place in the Group 2 Shorts (1100m) at Randwick, won by the Waller-trained multiple Group 1 mare Joliestar.

Waller has Joliestar in his slot for the $20m sprint on October 18 while Fairway Thoroughbreds snapped up stablemate Lady Shenandoah last week.

Lady Shenandoah is favourite for the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) on Friday night at The Valley.

There are five slots left in the Everest officially, but only three realistically on the open market with Godolphin and Coolmore set to pick from their own racing operations.

The ‘available’ slot-holders include auction house Inglis, Mulberry Racing and James Harron Bloodstock.

Angel Capital was originally bought for $400,000 out of the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.

Waller said Angel Capital would not be out of place in the Everest.

“He’s good enough to win some serious Group 1 races and that is a Group 1 race,” Waller said.

“He’s a proper horse. Talk is cheap but I’m sure this time next year we’ll be talking about a very good horse.

“We were thinking Manikato, we opted for the Sir Rupert Clarke … we wanted to tick the Group 1 box. We didn’t quite get that right but I think we’ll be fine, he’ll win multiple Group 1 races.”

Angel Capital went back from a wide draw as planned in the Rupert Clarke, with a plan to go through the field but struck traffic in the run and only got clear the last 50m.

Jockey Damian Lane claimed responsibility for the ride with a “pilot had a nightmare” post-race assessment.

“Speaking to Damian … he was shattered, with the bad draw we took the percentage of going back and letting things unfold,” Waller said.

“We took the option to go through them and he got blocked for a run.

“Had we come around them, well it’s not what you do in Group 1 races, it’s very hard to do, however, he might’ve won. That’s what Damian said.

“There’s no person more disappointed than him. Fortunately he’s (Angel Capital) come through it well, he’s a rising star and he’s going to get a lot more chances.”

Originally published as Chris Waller ‘bullish’ on Angel Capital’s Everest potential