Birdman lands Doomben Cup, gives Chris Waller 200th Group 1 win

Chris Waller reached a place few trainers ever touch when Birdman stormed past Pride Of Jenni in the AU$1 million Doomben Cup at Doomben, giving him his 200th Group 1 win and his first in the race. Birdman scored by 2.66 lengths, or about 2¾ lengths, and James McDonald delivered him from near last to land the 2000m feature in the most emphatic of finishes.

The result carried far more weight than a standard winter staying race. Waller became only the third trainer in Australian racing history to reach 200 Group 1 victories, joining Bart Cummings and Tommy Smith, who both finished their careers on 246. It also arrived 18 years after Waller’s first Group 1 success, Triple Honour in the 2008 Doncaster Handicap at Randwick, a reminder of how long his dominance has stretched across Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast.

The race itself had drama worthy of the milestone. Pride Of Jenni ripped clear and was said to have led by as much as 10 to 15 lengths mid-race before beginning to shorten stride after the turn. She was still in front turning for home, but Birdman, fitter for his narrow Group 2 Hollindale Stakes defeat to the mare two weeks earlier, kept building under McDonald and took over inside the final 100m. Pride Of Jenni boxed on for second, lifting her earnings beyond AU$12.5 million, while Vauban filled third.

Waller was emotional after the finish and paid tribute to late part-owner Mark Timms, who died of cancer six weeks ago. His widow, Leah, was at the track to see Birdman complete the job. “I just wish Timmsy was here,” Waller said.

McDonald, who has now partnered Waller to 37 Group 1 wins, called the trainer a “once-in-generation” horseman. The numbers back that up. Waller recorded his first win with Go Morgan at Trentham in 1997, moved permanently to Australia in 2002 and captured his first Australian metropolitan trainers’ premiership in 2010-11. On Saturday, the old markers suddenly felt small beside the scale of the new one.