Having trained the trifecta in the $1m G1 ATC Champagne Stakes (1600m) earlier in the day, Chris Waller then recorded a one-two finish in the $1.5m G1 All Aged Stakes (1400m), with Godolphin’s 3yo colt Beiwacht recording an all the way win over Lazzura.
Having not won in his four starts since his track-record-breaking effort in the G1 ATC Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill back in September, the 3yo Bivouac colt produced a solid effort in a recent 900m Canterbury barrier trial where he was partnered by Saturday’s race day jockey Nash Rawiller.
Jumping from barrier two, Rawiller sent the valuable colt forward where crossed the fellow Godolphin bred and raced Pericles to his inside to take up the lead with the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Royal Patronage (Fr) settling in second.
Race favourite Angel Capital was back in sixth position on the rails with jockey James McDonald having the 4yo stallion prospect handier than normal in an attempt to get the best out of the narrow last start G1 runner-up.
As Beiwacht took the field into the home straight, Rawiller had ridden the perfect race on the colt as when the challengers started to make their runs, there was still plenty left in the tank for the leader as he kicked strongly, pulling clear to win by just shy of a length.
Working home well after finally getting a clear run, Snitzel mare Lazzura took second, just ahead of last year’s All Aged Stakes winner Jimmysstar (NZ) who came home well for third.
Having won the only other G1 race on the Randwick card, the Waller stable was in fine form.
“He's a very special horse, enthused Waller. “He did it in the Golden Rose as well and broke the Rosehill track record”
“He's a pretty talented young colt. So to beat the older horses, and this year's All Aged Stakes I think, like the rest of the carnival, it's a very special field, it's good horses. He gets the accolades today.
“I think he didn't like running down the straight, so we needed to find a stallion-making race that really stamps his authority, and this race stuck out.
“He ran on well in the George Ryder, it was a softish track that day and today, back on a good track, he was terrific.
“Even his run behind Joliestar, that showed that he was right up there with the best older horses. Very exciting.”
As for where to next..Waller highlighted that there were endless possibilities.
“There’s lots of options, isn’t there? That's the beauty of racing in Australia and Sydney Racing. We're just so lucky to be racing in this era.”
Having never partnered the colt on race day, jockey Nash Rawiller was impressed with the way he lengthened in the straight.
“He just travelled beautifully and he ran the sectionals and kicked off that,” said Rawiller. “You know what It's like when you're on a really good horse and you know you're home. I just love the way he lengthened stride again when I asked him. I was just happy to enjoy it.”
When asked if he felt Beiwacht could step up in distance, Rawiller felt Waller would know what is best for the colt.
“Look, he's just a really highly talented, let's say he's a sprinter-miler, but at this stage I wouldn't be rushing to get there. I think there’s plenty of 1400m and 1200m races he could be winning before then.”
With three wins to his record, twice at G1 level as well as the G2 ATC Silver Slipper Stakes at 2, Beiwacht’s took his career earnings to $2,046,275 from his 13 starts to date.
The Godolphin bred and raced colt is the lone G1 from four winners out of the Street Cry mare Metastasio, herself a half-sister to dual G1 winner Colette, a daughter of 2105 G1 Golden Rose winner Hallowed Crown.
A half-brother to Listed winner Gravina, Beiwacht has a 2yo full brother named Café Reine (Bivouac) also in the care of Chris Waller.
Metastasio was subsequently sold by Godolphin at the 2024 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for $110,000 to Hirsch Racing where she foaled a filly by Microphone before missing to Woodside Park Stud's multiple G1-winning Dubawi stallion Benbatl (GB) in his first season at stud.
The mare was then covered by Bivouac in the spring, with the resultant foal a full relation to the dual G1 winner Beiwacht.
Beiwacht is the lone G1 winner amongst seven stakes performers for Darley’s Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) who covered a book of 104 mares last season at a fee of $55,000 (inc. GST) at Darley Kelvinside.
Bivouac will be represented by two fillies at Sunday’s Inglis HTBA Yearling Sale including Fernrigg Farm’s Lot 17, a filly out of a half-sister to G1 winner Rothfire.
