James McDonald has described Chris Waller as a once in a generation trainer after delivering the champion horseman his 200th Group 1 win with Birdman in the Doomben Cup. Only two other trainers – Tommy Smith and Bart Cummings – have celebrated 200 or more victories at the highest level, both ending their remarkable careers with 246 apiece.
Birdman’s success on Saturday came 18 years after Waller collected his first major with Triple Honour in the 2008 Doncaster Handicap (1600m) at Randwick. McDonald, who has shared in more than 50 of those subsequent Group 1 successes, paid tribute to Waller’s exceptional talent.
“The man behind the operation, he is just an absolute master and it’s a privilege to be part of his team,” McDonald said. “How he ‘preps’ these horses is incredible, and he deserves all the accolades he gets and all the records he breaks, because he’s a one of a generation sort of trainer and we’re lucky to be in his bubble.”
Much of the Doomben Cup (2000m) build-up had centred around the presence of free-bowling mare Pride Of Jenni ($1.95 fav), who in her usual fashion strode to an estimated 12-length lead mid-race. She had her rivals chasing a long way from home but unlike the Hollindale Stakes (1800m) where she clung to victory, she wasn’t able to resist the late surge of Birdman ($3.30), who mowed her down to score by 2-3/4 lengths with Vauban another three-quarters of a length away third.
Waller said Pride Of Jenni has created a wonderful pre-race talking point and he was pleased to get a rare win over the Ciaron Maher-trained mare. “I don’t beat her very often. She’s beaten Via Sistina, she has beaten Fangirl, she has beaten a lot of our better horses. She has been my nightmare,” Waller said.
The trainer also paid an emotional tribute to Birdman’s late owner and his close friend, Mark Timms, who sadly died in March. “We lost a good friend, Mark Timms, six weeks ago. He was in the horse, and his wife Leah is here today. He was a beautiful man, so it’s a pretty touching win,” Waller said. “I wish Timms was here, it’s as simple as that.”
Birdman also gave Waller his 20th Group 1 for the season, eclipsing his own record for most majors in a racing term set during 2024-25, while McDonald has equalled his best effort of 15 Group 1s in a single season.
Declan Bates was proud of Pride Of Jenni’s effort in defeat, saying weather conditions made her task more difficult. “Couldn’t be happier with her,” Bates said. “It’s tough here today with the wind conditions. She got a bit tired in the straight, but it was a massive run again.”
Caulfield and Melbourne Cups winner Half Yours finished fourth, with jockey Jamie Melham saying he ran an honest race. “He was great. They wanted me to push him a bit today and wanted me to take off a touch earlier and he was just flat hitting the line,” Melham said. “He’s on track for the Q22.”
