Master horseman Chris Waller pulled off one of his best ever training performances getting his 2021 Sydney Cup winner Selino back in winning form to take out the 2023 Brisbane Cup on Stradbroke Handicap Day at Eagle Farm.
2023 Brisbane Cup winner Selino (pictured in Sydney) was back in the winner’s stall at Eagle Farm on Saturday thanks to a gun training performance from Chris Waller. Photo: Steve Hart.
It had been a long time between drinks for the now seven-year-old import who hadn’t won a race since the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick back in April of 2021.
The horse was eighth to stablemate Verry Elleegant in that year’s iconic Melbourne Cup race at Flemington before spending over a year on the sidelines recovering from a tendon injury.
Where many trainers would give up and retire their horse, Waller knew Selino wasn’t done yet and spent the time with the trust of connections getting the galloper back to race fitness.
The smart stayer had had five previous runs heading into today’s Group 2 $400,000 XXXX Brisbane Cup (3200m) including a sixth in the Sydney Cup and last start fifth in the Listed Ramsden Cup (2800m) at headquarters on May 13.
Despite the break between wins Selino went around at single-figure Brisbane Cup odds and lived up to his price with the brave win from an off-speed run with Nash Rawiller aboard.
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott saddled-up the hot favourite Teofilo Star.
The star hurdler, coming off a last start 2520m flat race triumph by six lengths at Flemington, jumped well and hit the front early looking to lead all-the-way.
He was still in front at the top of the straight with 400m to go, but was quickly challenged and dropped right out over the final furlong finishing towards the tail end of the field.
Selino ($9) meanwhile was sent forward by Rawiller approaching the turn for home but was trapped wide right off the track.
That didn’t stop the dour stayer winning however as he ran home hard down the outside to take over from Warning ($7.50) who had loomed up late also wide on the track.
It was a brave performance from the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Warning who was three-wide the entire trip before going stride for stride late with the eventual Brisbane Cup winner.
In the end Warning, winner of the 2019 Victoria Derby, was forced to settle for second.
Rounding out the Brisbane Cup trifecta in third having run on-pace in fourth throughout was Matthew Smith’s Sydney Cup runner-up True Marvel ($18) whose lead-up was a 3200m hurdle win carrying 69.5kg to victory.
With the victory Selino joined Knights Order as winners of both the Sydney Cup and Brisbane Cup.
Knights Order however did the double in reverse order saluting in the 2021 Brisbane Cup before returning the following autumn to take out the 2022 Sydney Cup for Waterhouse & Bott.
Selino is likely to train on now for the spring with a potential second shot at the Group 1 $8 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 7.
Click here for the latest all-in Melbourne Cup 2023 odds online through Ladbrokes.com.au.
2023 Brisbane Cup Results & Finishing Order
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | SELINO (GB) | Chris Waller | Nash Rawiller | 12 | 57.5kg | $9 | |||
| 2 | 8 | WARNING | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Jason Collett | 0.63L | 9 | 53.5kg | $7.50 | ||
| 3 | 5 | TRUE MARVEL (FR) | Matthew Smith | Kerrin McEvoy | 3.26L | 7 | 55kg | $18 | ||
| 4 | 1 | KUKERACHA (NZ) | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 3.39L | 2 | 58kg | $11 | ||
| 5 | 15 | ESSENTIAL SKY (NZ) | John Sargent | Ms Rachel King | 4.13L | 3 | 53kg | $101 | ||
| 6 | 12 | YAPHET | Cliff Brown | Ben Thompson | 5.8L | 5 | 53kg | $16 | ||
| 7 | 7 | AL AABIR (IRE) | Chris Waller | Michael Dee | 7.11L | 4 | 53.5kg | $4.80 | ||
| 8 | 2 | PLATINUM INVADOR (NZ) | Lisa Latta | Ryan Elliot (a) | 7.53L | 15 | 58kg | $51 | ||
| 9 | 10 | OUTLANDOS | John Sargent | Tyler Schiller (a) | 8.22L | 11 | 53kg | $17 | ||
| 10 | 13 | LONG ARM (IRE) | Peter Gelagotis | Craig Williams | 8.74L | 8 | 53kg | $31 | ||
| 11 | 11 | TAPPY’S LAD (NZ) | Kerry Taplin | Mark Du Plessis | 9.29L | 6 | 53kg | $41 | ||
| 12 | 14 | SOUTHERN STOCK (NZ) | Chris Munce | Kyle Wilson-Taylor | 11.23L | 14 | 53kg | $61 | ||
| 13 | 4 | NERVE NOT VERVE (NZ) | Michael Moroney | Michael McNab | 11.87L | 13 | 56.5kg | $21 | ||
| 14 | 9 | TEOFILO STAR (IRE) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 21.68L | 1 | 53kg | $3F | ||
| 15 | 16 | CREDIT CRUNCH | Matthew Smith | Damien Thornton | 27.28L | 10 | 53kg | $81 | ||
| 6 | SOUTHERN FRANCE (IRE) | Matthew Smith | Jordan Childs | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
