Homebred heading for the top

Trainer Chris Waller believes his rising young star Hello Captain is capable of making his mark at the highest level.

Our homebred son of Hello Youmzain continued the hot start he has made to his career when scoring with ease over 1300 metres at Rosehill to make it four wins from six appearances and should be unbeaten this preparation.

The three-year-old opened his campaign with wins at Warwick Farm and Canterbury before he was denied clear room in the straight at Randwick and finished a luckless fourth.

"In terms of distance, I think he can get to a mile and if he can get to a mile, he can get to a good race and maybe an Epsom Handicap, (G1, 1600m)," Waller said.

"Timing-wise, it's hard to predict when he gets there, and distance-wise we're still learning about the horse, but he's settling better than he has ever settled before and he's showing a good turn of foot."

However, in the meantime Waller is content for the horse to ply his trade in Saturday company and build his bank account.

"Sydney races, they're worth $160,000 every Saturday, fifty-two weeks a year," he said.

"It's hard to knock it back when they're on every week, so I think we keep going through his grades.”

Apprentice Siena Grima allowed the odds-on favourite to settled beyond midfield before improving wide near the turn and he boomed home to win easing down by two and a-quarter lengths.

Hello Captain was purchased for $425,000 out of our 2024 draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale and is raced by Christchurch owner Glenn Ritchie.

He is out of the Pivotal mare Steer By The Stars, who has produced five winners from four foals to race, including the European stakes victor Never Look Back while Persian Wonder, a $160,000 Karaka purchase, was runner-up in this season’s G3 Baillieu Handicap.

Steer By The Stars was secured on our behalf by agent John Foote for 115,000gns at the 2015 Tattersalls December Mares’ Sale and is currently in foal to Frankel’s multiple Group 1-winning son Chaldean.

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