The last time Chris Waller was invited to London for a royal event, he watched as Invincibella won the Tatts Tiara before lunching with Queen Elizabeth II at Royal Ascot in 2019.
It will be a far more sober occasion this time as he represents Australia at the funeral of Her Majesty, but he might get another group 1 win while in London.
Stephanie and Chris Waller with Queen Elizabeth II during their lunch at Royal Ascot in 2019.
Racing rolls on as the spring steps up a gear with Friday’s George Main Stakes meeting at Royal Randwick, but so well set up is Waller’s stable that he is confident things will run smoothly back at home without him.
“The internet will get a bit of work out on Saturday,” Waller said. “I have a good team around me and we will give the instructions early on, and we know the horses have been well-prepared.
“It is business as usual really; I will just be away and that is the beauty of my team – they will step up. It is such an honour to be asked to go to the funeral for a wonderful woman.”
It will be the girls who represent Waller in the group 1 George Main Stakes as mares Fangirl and Hinged take on big guns Zaaki and Anamoe over the Randwick mile.
“For three-year-olds turning four, especially as a mares, it is a quantum leap in weight-for-age, but Fangirl was very good in the Winx Stakes [where he charged late to finish second to Anamoe],” Waller said. “Hinged [who was fifth in the Winx] was quite good as well. They will both be better for the run and at the mile.”
Fangirl wins the Light Fingers Stakes at the beginning of her autumn campaign.Credit:Getty
It takes an outstanding four-year-old mare to win the George Main Stakes.
Champions More Joyous and Emancipation did it, but Waller is confident his mares will do his stable proud tomorrow.
“This week they have both got really good draws, which they didn’t have last start, so we can choose where we want to be,” Waller said. “They might be a bit closer, but I would have liked one of Zaaki or Anamoe not to be there.
“It will be a good measure for them. This is the right race to get to the Epsom, where they are both well-weighted.”
Waller will have more than 30 runners around Australia tomorrow and there are likely to be couple who emerge as group 1 contenders. Silver Shadow Stakes winner Zougotcha tops the market for the Tea Rose Stakes, while emerging Arnold is odds-on for his Saturday debut in Sydney.
“Zougotcha is ready for the 1400m. We decided to wait for the Tea Rose because she is going to be better at this trip,” Waller said.
However, it will be the Kingston Town Stakes over 2000m where Caulfield Cup-bound Surefire and Francesco Guardi will grab the trainer’s attention. He is also looking forward to Osipenko, who heads to Melbourne for the Caulfield Guineas Prelude.
“I have a lot of second-tier horses and there is bound to one or two jump out in the next couple of weeks and make themselves known, whether it might be Osipenko in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude on Saturday or Francesco Gaudi in the Kingston Town.
“He has been working well at home and he could be a Metropolitian horse. He has drawn wide, as has Surefire, which is going to make it tough.”
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