“As much as we can dodge and weave these days with a lot of great options worth good prizemoney, I’m still a racing fan like everyone else.”

So, why have all our champions of late been mares?

One leading reason is that many of our promising young colts are bought and taken to Hong Kong as yearlings, while those who do race in Australia and reach the elite level at a young age are prematurely retired to stud, denying them the chance of proving themselves against the older horses.

“[Or] we might have just struck an era,” Waller said. “You might get three [male] horses come out in the next era and be exactly the same [as Makybe Diva, Black Caviar and Winx].”

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Although, Waller admits he may have had one or two himself, had the likes of Yes Yes Yes and The Autumn Sun not retired so soon.

“I was always very scared of The Autumn Sun, had he raced on for another year, how he would have situated with Winx,” he said.

“But talk’s cheap. That’s the great racing debate. It’s good pub talk, isn’t it?”

Beyond the Cox Plate, another tilt at the Melbourne Cup beckons for Verry Elleegant. Waller hasn’t needed to change the way he’s trained her, after last year going into the Cup from the Caulfield Cup, simply believing that if she’s well enough, she deserves another go at the 3200-metre classic.

“Like any dad, any coach, any trainer, you want your son or daughter to have the best possible chance in the competition she’s in,” he said.

“I think the weight makes it hard, but we’ve got to respect she’s got weight for the reason.

“First of all Saturday, second Cox Plate and of course if everything’s going to plan we’d give it [the Cup] serious consideration, but I’m a great one for pulling up stumps early if my gut tells me we should protect her for the autumn.

“We won’t be over-training her to win the Melbourne Cup, the Cox Plate is the grand final for sure.”

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Punters on the money

Another big handicap race in Sydney, and another race in which Chris Waller holds the key chances.

Asked how punters should split his Epsom Handicap contenders in Saturday’s group 1 at Randwick, Waller said: “I often use the punters to help me.

“Fair dinkum, I’ll use the punters as a guide more as I am a guide to them, and I respect their judgment, especially the smart money,” he said, adding that he scratched Shared Ambition from the Metropolitan because he was shorter odds in the Hill Stakes.

“My gut tells me Hungry Heart. She’s got the same credentials as Winx; did a great job as a three-year-old, she’s come back at four when Winx won it and with a winnable weight, which is so helpful.

“She’s drawn well, she’s got a jockey on that knows her. There’s just so many positives there.”

Hungry Heart is on the third line of betting ($8.50), behind favourites Riodini ($4.80) and Mo’unga ($6.50). Waller’s other contenders are Aramayo ($12), Atishu ($17), Star Of The Seas ($34) and Reloaded ($34).

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