Chris Waller will flex his muscle at Randwick’s traditional spring meeting and could have the favourites in each of the three group 1s on Saturday, which may turn into ladies’ day for the premier stable.
The champion trainer has swept the October long weekend majors before, in 2019, when he also won the Turnbull Stakes in Melbourne to achieve the rare feat of four group 1s in a day. This year he has a strong hold near the top of Epsom betting with Fangirl and Hinged challenging Top Ranked and Icebath for favouritism.
Hinged is part of a massive group 1 team for premier trainer Chris Waller at Randwick on Saturday.Credit:Getty
“Fangirl would have been the top seed after her second to Anamoe in the Winx Stakes, but there is an argument after the George Main that Hinged took that mantle because she beat her home,” Waller said.
“It is a day we target and for both of the mares this has been their target race, after Saturday we will work out if they go to a Golden Eagle or a Cox Plate.
“Fangirl is very well, and I think Hugh [Bowman] might have ridden her a bit too well last start, and we might go back to riding her more conservatively.”
Waller will also have Theo Marks Stakes winner Kiku in the Epsom, while in the Flight Stakes he has favourite Zougotcha and Madame Pommery, who was runner-up to her stablemate in the Tea Rose Stakes.
“I’m looking forward to getting Zougotcha up to the mile, she settles well and does everything right,” he said. “This has been her target race and she has been able to win two races in the Princess Series along the way. She is very professional and I don’t think the mile will be a problem.
“However, there is an argument that if you reverse the barriers last time, Madame Pommery would have beaten her. Madame Pommery really improved from 1200 to the 1400m and she’s showing indications of doing that again going to the mile.”
Wyong Cup and Newcastle Cup winner Durston will head a raft of Metropolitan runners, which could include Francesco Guardi, Kukeracha, No Compromise and Surefire.
Pike believes Benaud will benefit from blinkers in Metrop
He has had a couple of months to wait, and William Pike is confident Benaud can lift the Metropolitan trophy at Randwick on Saturday.
John O’Shea booked Pike early in the spring for the Australian Derby runner-up in the Metropolitan, where he was always going to get a light weight, and he will ride him at 52kg on Saturday if the weights don’t go up.
William Pike has long been booked for the ride on Benaud in The Metropolitan.Credit:Getty
Pike has been impressed with every run in Benaud’s preparation, the most recent of which saw him come from last when second to Alegron in the Kingston Town Stakes, and believes the addition of blinkers in Saturday’s group 1 could prove a masterstroke.
“John O’Shea said he was targeting one race and that was the Metropolitan when I was booked and everything is pointing to Benaud peaking for the big day,” Pike said.
“I think the blinkers will really help him, and he will relish getting to 2400m.”
Benaud and Durston are equal favourites at $4.50 for the Metropolitan.
It looks likely the top weights in the Epsom and Metropolitan will be 55.5kg and Racing NSW will lift the weights by half a kilogram or kilogram at acceptance time, which will help a number of jockeys with rides lower down in the handicap.
Pike is waiting on the weights raising to confirm his Epsom ride, but is excited to link with Everest-bound Masked Crusader again in the Premiere Stakes.
Racing NSW chief steward Marc Van Gestel is heading to Hong Kong.Credit:Getty
Van Gestel to finalise two inquiries before heading to Hong Kong
Racing NSW chief steward Marc Van Gestel only has about six weeks left in Sydney before jetting off to his new role in Hong Kong, but there are a couple of open investigations which will be concluded before he finishes.
The first involved an interstate trainer where the stewards are waiting for swabs to return after a stable raid last month.
The second is interesting as stewards have taken the phones from a punter and a number of jockeys in the state’s south-east in recent times for imaging. A couple of the people involved have already engaged the services of racing’s top lawyer Wayne Pasterfield.
Fireburn likely to back-up in Flight Stakes
Gary Portelli is considering backing up Golden Slipper winner Fireburn in the Flight Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
The Rebel Dane filly was strong late running fifth behind Jacquinot in the Golden Rose and it prompted a rethink from her trainer, who had planned to spell the star filly.
“We were going to stop after the Golden Rose, but there is a group 1 there looking us in the face next week and she is going so well,” Portelli said. “She just has to come through the run all right and she will be there. I would say it’s 70-30 to run at the moment. She is a filly that gets better with racing and she could improve again over a mile, which might just be her best trip.”
Only Ha Ha and Bounding Away have completed the Golden Slipper-Flight Stakes double. Fireburn could be the first filly to win the Slipper, Sires Produce Stakes and Flight Stakes treble.
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
