Smart WA-bred pacer Waverider followed in the footsteps of his former stablemate Shockwave when he stormed home to win the $200,000 Retravision Golden Nugget over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“I had a plan for him,” said his trainer Ryan Bell. “I did everything exactly the same as I did when we won the Nugget in 2019 with Shockwave; every piece of work has been identical to how we prepared Shockwave --- and it has paid off.
“I went back to my diaries, replicating the times Shockwave worked on the track. I used the same program with Waverider, how we worked him and how we drove him in the lead-up races. We just cuddled him and made sure he hit the line.
“And when you map a program out, and it comes to fruition it is a very good feeling. We have always had confidence in Waverider, but he has been somewhat of a pretty boy who needed to toughen up.
“Racing against the big boys earlier this year has definitely helped him, and running in the Nullarbor and Fremantle Cup strengthened him up and turned him into the horse he was tonight.”
Waverider, a $12.20 chance from barrier three, was handled in fine style by Jack Callaghan, who brought the horse home with a powerful burst to win by a half-head from the fast-finishing Justcallmemiki ($6.50). It was a similar scenario when Shockwave ran home fast to win the Nugget by a head from Patrickthepiranha.
Waverider went into Friday night’s group 1 classic with a losing sequence of twelve. But his recent efforts leading into the big race were full of merit, including a second to Justcallmemiki in the Pinjarra Four-Year-Old Classic and his third behind Franco Motu and Alta Tribute in the group 2 Four-Year-Old Classic at Gloucester Park.
Waverider, purchased for $60,000 by a syndicate headed by Kevin Jeavons at the 2022 Perth APG yearling sale, has now earned $410,352 from eleven wins, nine seconds and three thirds from 36 starts. He is by American sire Downbytheseaside and is the fourth foal out of Major In Art mare Premium Copper, who was retired after five starts as a two-year-old in 2014 produced one placing in a five-horse field in Bunbury when she finished 72 metres behind the winner Delightful Jade.
Callaghan did not bustle Waverider in the early stages and after a lap the horse was in seventh position, one-out and two-back, with Bettors Pride ($16) setting the pace from Golden Lode ($2.25 favourite) in the breeze, Alta Tribute ($11) out three wide and Justcallmemiki poised behind the pacemaker.
Callaghan switched Waverider three wide with just over a thousand metres to travel, following Franco Motu. Waverider went four wide approaching the 300m mark and he got to a narrow lead 55m from the post and held on to beat Justcallmemiki, rating 1.57.1 after final quarters of 28.2sec. and 28.8sec.
“I know that Waverider just fell in, but he copped a check down the back straight at the 450m and had to switch course, so it was a pretty good run,” said an elated Bell. “Now we will be looking forward to the WA Pacing Cup.”
For the 24-year-old Callaghan this was his eighth and most prestigious and lucrative group 1 success. “It’s a very special thrill,” he declared.
