Chris Waller saddled up five of the eight starters in Friday’s $200,000 Listed Carlton Wyong Cup (2100m) and with a 1-2-3-4 finish, the champion trainer claimed the feature for the eighth time in the last eleven years.
The stable sent out the favourite Lord Ardmore who made the early running before coming under severe pressure on the home turn.
Highclere Thoroughbreds Sea The Moon (GER) gelding Durston (GB) made a sweeping run from the rear of the field under James McDonald to defeat the No Nay Never gelding Yiyi by one and three-quarter lengths with the Showcasing gelding Our Intrigue a further two lengths back in third.
Durston (GB) was a consistent performer in Great Britain when trained by David Simcock. He had wins at Doncaster and Chester and four placings from eight starts including a third in the Group III Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury.
He had not raced for 14 months when making his Australian debut over 2000m at Flemington for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace. He clocked in fourth behind Hosier and two months later opened his account when defeating Mankayan and Alcyone over 2000m at Caulfield.
When Durston (GB) made his next start 41 weeks later he was in the Waller stable. He finished seventh of ten in the Listed Winter Challenge and a month later failed to beat a runner home in the Group III Premiers Cup (2000m) at Randwick.
“He raced a bit fiercely in his first few runs for us. The ultimate gear change was a Norton bit,” stable representative Damien Fitton said.
“It was a great ride by James. He went back to the rear of the field and let him switch off. He dropped his head for the first time since we’ve had him and that told the tale.
“He was too good on the day and it’s onwards and upwards for him.”
Another stakes-winner in Australia bred by Kirsten Rausing’s Lanwades Stud, Durston (GB) was a 52,000gns purchase for Blandford Bloodstock from the Staffordstown draft at the 2017 October Yearling Sale.
The son of the German Derby winner Sea The Moon (Sea The Stars) and the Hernando mare Caribana is a half-brother to the Group III St Simon Stakes and Group III John Porter Stakes winner Cubanita. The daughter of Selkirk was runner-up in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Bayern and was honoured as the Champion Older Mare in Germany in 2014.
Durston is the 26th stakes-winner for Sea The Moon who stands at Lanwades Stud for a fee of £25,000.
