A top ride from Alysha Collett has helped the Chris Waller-trained Waterford return to winning form in the inaugural running of the $500,000 The Lakes at Wyong.
From a wide draw in Saturday’s 1600m feature, Collett was able to get Waterford into a nice position during the run, settling fourth one off the fence, before edging even closer as the home turn approached.
Adam Hyeronimus controlled the race from the front on $2.80 betting site favourite Robusto but Waterford ($9) was able to overhaul last month’s The Ingham winner in the final strides to score by half a length.
Robusto’s Bjorn Baker-trained stablemate Highlights ($7) was another length away in third.
Waterford was dropping back in distance from a run over 2000m last start and Collett said the gelding seemed alert as she trotted him around to the starting gates.
Collett said she was confident Waterford would be able to reel in Robusto in the straight but was also mindful not to go for the gelding too early.
“I was confident, I just didn’t want to let go of his head because sometimes when you do that he can have a good think about it,” Collett said.
“But I love the way he went to the line today. He put in. It was great for the whole team and I thank them for the ride.
“It’s just nice to get opportunities in these races and to do the job for people like Chris Waller.”
Collett, who has won at Group 1 level in her native New Zealand, brought up a race-to-race double on Waterford after partnering the Joe Pride-trained Bullets High to a narrow victory in the previous race.
Collett is closing in on 50 winners for the season Australia-wide while the double took her metropolitan tally for this season to three.
“It’s all about trying to be consistent and keep improving as a jockey,” Collett said.
The win for Waterford was his sixth from 26 starts but he had been winless in his past eight races stretching back to April last year.
Waller stable representative Chris Harwood said Waterford had been ‘pretty luckless’ this campaign.
“He’s run in some nice races and he’s had bad barriers and when he did get a good barrier he’s been blocked for runs,” Harwood said.
“He got the luck today, he got a great ride, and we’ve pulled off a big one.
“Alysha went out there to win a race, and I think she won the race in the first furlong or two. She put him right there and he let down like a good horse today.”