Kolding might often sit in the shadows of his high-profile stablemates but he has rounded out Chris Waller’s stellar autumn carnival with an All Aged Stakes (1400m) triumph.
His victory gave the premier trainer a G1 win for the fifth week in succession, also delivering Waller’s 125th in an already decorated career.
Kolding ($9) and Savatiano ($6) edged clear over the final 200m in a two-horse war and the Godolphin mare looked to get the better of him before Kolding kicked back on the line to nab her by a short half-head.
Doncaster Mile winner Cascadian ($8.50) dived late for third, another head away.
Waller admitted he feared Savatiano had the race in the bag.
“I did, and then I could just gradually see him coming and I was thinking, this time normally in a prep he’s running over 2000 metres so he’s going to be strong late, these are the sorts of things rushing through your mind, your hopes at the 100 metre mark,” Waller said.
While Kolding traditionally stretches out to a middle-distance later in his campaigns, the presence of star stablemate Verry Elleegant and English raider Addeybb prompted Waller to dodge that pair in the Ranvet and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Instead, Kolding was freshened for a distance drop after finishing unplaced in the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) and struck his preferred firm track on Saturday.
“I think he probably doesn’t get a lot of credit when he’s been getting beaten on wet tracks, which has been most of this preparation in fact,” Waller said.
“He’s a good horse and he showed it today.”
Favourite Masked Crusader settled last and was doing his best work in the straight but jockey Tommy Berry said he faced too big a task from the wide draw.
“He just had too much work to do from there,” Berry said
Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au