Barnavara entered as the heavy $1.70 favourite but failed to quicken in the straight and ended up in fourth place, while her stable companion Wootton Verni powered clear for a comfortable victory.
Waller believed Wootton Verni’s seasoning from Australian campaigns was key, and although disappointed by the performance of star mare Barnavara, he noted she had valid reasons for her run.
“Wootton Verni has been here a while now and he found some great form in the spring,” Waller said, referring to the gelding’s wins in the Coongy Handicap and Rosehill Gold Cup.
“Certainly, he’s talented horse and with a bit of give in the ground and being rock-hard fit, he showed the others up.”
Barnavara typically took up a forward position during her European races, but she compromised her chances by stumbling at the start in her Australian bow.
“The plan was to go forward, to be second, third or fourth but she dwelt at the start,” Waller said.
“I think rather than fire her up, Australian horses just find their positions so quickly, whereas if you fire her up first Australian start I guess James (McDonald) would have thought you could of set her alight which is what we didn’t want.
Then when they went slow, it was very hard from back there. They controlled it from the front and made it hard to finish off.”
Wootton Verni at $5.50, expertly handled by Tommy Berry, drew away to score by two-and-a-half lengths ahead of English visitor Caviar Heights at $4.20, who closed strongly into second, with Portland at $26 battling gamely for third spot right on the line.
The French Group 1 winner Barnavara began her charge around the home bend but came under siege from the 300m mark and toiled to a disappointing fourth.
Berry mentioned he was delighted when Wootton Verni found himself ahead of Barnavara early on.
“I was always going to put my bloke into the race,” Berry said.
“I thought the mare (Barnavara) was going to maybe even slide forward and I would be on the back of her.
It’s always nice to be in front of quality horses in the run and they’ve got to chase you.”
Rider James McDonald aboard Barnavara indicated the tempo didn’t play to her strengths.
“She got back in a slowly run race,” McDonald said. “She will improve.”
Waller remains unsure of the next steps for both Wootton Verni and Barnavara.
“The plan was always to run Wootton Verni in the Tancred Stakes today but he just didn’t quite fulfill our expectations last start,” Waller said.”So, we’ve come back a grade just to give him some confidence, and he’s got that confidence back.
Is he up to the Queen Elizabeth Stakes? That will be the question we have to answer.”
Waller plans to assess Barnavara’s recovery before determining if she heads to the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on April 11.
British trainer William Haggas faces decisions following Caviar Heights’ solid second placing.
Haggas’s assistant Issy Paul noted Caviar Heights has entries in two events on April 11: the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Sydney Cup (3200m).
“Caviar Heights will go to either of those races, it will be up to the boss (Haggas),” Paul said.”But we are very happy with Caviar Heights. He has run a really good race and will improve.”
Jockey Tom Marquand was impressed by Caviar Heights’ Sydney introduction.
“He ran great,” Marquand said. “We were ruined a little bit by the lack of tempo.
I wish he’d stepped a little better and I’d have been able to be a bit more positive.”
Portland finished third with a strong late charge, delighting trainer Matthew Smith.
“He’s run well and continues to improve,” Smith said. “We will look at the JRA Plate for him.”
Kerrin McEvoy, Portland’s rider, praised the ex-Irish horse’s effort.
“I got onto the back of the favourite but it didn’t really take me anywhere,” McEvoy said.
“I had to switch out to get into the clear and he got going well over the last furlong (a200m).”
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