Chris Waller should have been in a celebratory mood after Junoob won Saturday’s Hill Stakes at Randwick.
Instead, he was left to lament the difficulty of getting an in-form horse into the Caulfield Cup.
Waller is all but resigned to targeting the Metropolitan with Junoob who he fears is too far down the order of entry to get into the Caulfield Cup in spite of Saturday’s Group Two win.
The premier trainer finds himself in a similar position with Who Shot Thebarman, an Auckland Cup winner who saluted last start at Flemington.
The Caulfield Cup has become an increasingly attractive target for the international horses on the back of a prize money boost this year to $3 million and Waller feels it has become too hard for up-and-coming Australian- trained stayers to force their way into the field.
“It almost comes down to having to run there (Metropolitan) because it’s so hard to get into the Caulfield Cup,” Waller said.
“Horses like Junoob and Who Shot Thebarman don’t get runs. But they’re in-form horses who should be running in a Caulfield Cup from a form perspective.
“It’s something we need to look at.
“They need to realise we’ve got home-grown talent as well.”
Waller had three runners in Saturday’s Hill Stakes (2000m) with Junoob capitalising on an uncontested lead to score comfortably over the David Payne-trained Criterion.
The winner’s stablemate Bagman turned in an eye-catching Metropolitan trial for third with favourite Moriarty the only disappointment of Waller’s trio, finishing last.
Payne said the slow pace didn’t suit Criterion and he will head to Melbourne where the Cox Plate remains his goal.
