Premier trainer Chris Waller has always targeted Sydney’s spring jewels, the Epsom and the Metropolitan, but never to the extent of this year, when he could supply half the fields for both Randwick group 1s on Saturday.
Waller has the top two in betting for the Epsom in four-year-olds Unforgotten and D’argento and could have another half-dozen runners in the spring group 1 mile, while his team for the Metropolitan will number at least six.
Classic winner: Hugh Bowman and Unforgotten get the job done in the Australian Oaks.
It has been a measured approach to get the two classic winners to a group 1 handicap with winning weights. Unforgotten, the Australian Oaks winner, is the $4.50 favourite after her weight-for-age Chelmsford Stakes win over the Randwick mile earlier in the month, which didn’t open her up to further penalty to her 52.5kg handicap.
Natural lightweight Kerrin McEvoy has been booked for the mare, while James McDonald rides D’argento, the $5 second pick, at 53.5kg after his tune-up runs of a third in the Winx Stakes and a runner-up finish in the Theo Marks Stakes.
“It is exciting to have the likes of D’Argento and Unforgotten, who have beaten the handicappers,” Waller said. “I see it as an easy race for them because it is still early in the spring give them options later in the spring.
“I’m going to nominate Unforgotten for the Underwood Stakes in Melbourne on Sunday just in case she draws 20 in the Epsom.”
Waller has used the Epsom in the past to launch spring campaigns for Winx, He's Your Man and Boban.
Waller will run Comin’ Through in the southern group 1 at Caulfield on Sunday, while the Epsom favourites will be joined by Shillelagh, Tom Melbourne, Mister Sea Wolf and Single Gaze.
The trainer is also hoping Kaonic will make the field, while he will make a Monday decision on whether to run I Am Serious and Religify.
He knows that numbers and the betting don’t mean much when it comes to big Randwick miles.
“I had the three favourites in the Doncaster once and they weren’t sighted. I did also have a 1,2,3,4 in the Doncaster, too,” he said.
Although Brimham Rocks has yet to win in Australia, he is the ruling Metropolitan favourite at $6, with stablemate Libran on the second line of betting at $8, while High Bridge and Patrick Erin are $11 chances.
“I feel there is a good race in Brimham Rocks. He has ran into Avilius twice this preparation and if he wasn’t in those races, he would be the horse everyone is talking about,” Waller said.
Meanwhile, Winx will head to Melbourne this week to continue her spring preparation, with the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on October 6, where she will look for her 28th successive win in her final lead-up to the Cox Plate.
Source: Read Full Article