Exciting Comeback for Waipiro After Derby Run in Longer Distance Race
Waipiro to Drop Back in Trip for Hampton Court
Trainer Ed Walker has made the decision to drop Waipiro back in trip for the upcoming Hampton Court at Royal Ascot. The horse failed to see out the Betfred Derby trip, which is why this change has been implemented.
In his last outing, Waipiro was runner-up in the Lingfield Derby Trial behind Military Order. Despite being sent off as a 25-1 chance in the premier Classic at Epsom, he managed to make up ground and was still in contention with two furlongs remaining before eventually finishing sixth.
Walker believes that it wasn’t an issue of poor performance from Waipiro but instead a lack of stamina that led him not seeing out the race. He wasn’t convinced about his ability to stay during his run at Lingfield and felt that it reiterated again during Epsom’s Classic event.
“I hoped it was just immaturity and inexperience at Lingfield, but I think Epsom reiterated he didn’t see it out.”
The Group Three Hampton Court Stakes over ten furlongs on June 22 is now on cards for Waipiro. Trainer Ed Walker confirmed this news while also stating that plans thereafter remain fluid.
The Future Possibilities
The Lambourn handler believes that there could be a possibility of sending Waiprio overseas where his future could lie somewhere like Hong Kong. The Siu family owns him; they have many horses training there as well so it may be beneficial for them if they decide to take him there even though nothing is confirmed regarding this yet— “If he can’t be winning some of the best races in the UK, then he’ll probably win a lot more money in Hong Kong than here,” added Walker.
If Waipiro can’t compete at the highest level of horse racing in the UK, there is no reason why he cannot make his mark somewhere else. There is still a chance that he might get back to winning ways and stay here if things go well for him; we will know better after seeing how it performs at Ascot.
The Conclusion
It remains to be seen what lies ahead for Waipiro. However, dropping back in distance seems like an excellent decision by trainer Ed Walker as they look to find out where his strengths lie on the track.