Winless for twelve months, the Tony Gollan-trained Baller made back-to-back wins in the Group II Ascot Green Moreton Cup at Eagle Farm.
With Hugh Bowman in the saddle, the 6yo son of High Chaparral defeated the Wandabaa (Wanjina) by a length, with Kementari (Lonhro) a head back in third.
Though it has been a while between drinks, Baller has placed in the Group III George Moore Stakes, Listed Keith Noud Stakes and Listed Falvelong Stakes since his triumph 12 months ago.
With his third stakes win, Baller advances his record to seven wins, three seconds, and three thirds from 28 starts, with earnings of $735,390.
“I’m so happy for this horse. The interruptions early in the prep made life really hard getting him fit. We had him in awfully hard races weight-for-age races, and he was at his right grade today,” Gollan said.
“He was just a different horse today in running. I said to Hughey on Wednesday morning he just towed his rider in a gallop, and that was the difference today. He travelled up in the same spot as last year, and he had enough in him to bump that horse out of the road, and he had a great turn-of-foot on him.
“That’s the Baller we know today. That’s the right horse.
“He’s a big horse, and getting him fit is always a challenge with these big horses. He’s got really bad front feet. Our farrier does an amazing job with this horse.
“When you can get the right surface, get him fully fit, and you can get his feet right, you really get a good horse. I’m sure that other trainers that have had him previous to us had had the same struggles.
“When we get him right, he’s a quality galloper.
“He’ll get an awful lot of weight in the Healy Stakes here in three weeks. We’ll see what happens.”
Purchased by Anthony Cummings for $160,000 out of the Baramul Stud draft at the 2017 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Baller is the best of six winners from seven to race out of the Encosta De Lago mare Fuwa who died in 2017.
Baller is one of 149 stakes-winner for High Chaparral (IRE), who last shuttled in 2014 and died in December that year.
