Premier Sydney trainer Chris Waller will bid for his third successive Group Two Hollindale Stakes with imported stayer Foreteller at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Waller won the 1800m weight-for-age feature with Metal Bender in 2010 before English import, My Kingdom Of Fife, was successful last year.
Metal Bender went on to win the Group One Doomben Cup in 2010 while Kingdom Of Fife was runner-up to Scenic Shot last year.
Foreteller will be ridden by champion jockey Jim Cassidy in the Hollindale Stakes, the traditional lead-up to the Doomben Cup on May 19.
Waller also considered sending The Verminator north for the Hollindale Stakes but the winner of last year’s Group One Metropolitan is one of four stable entries for the Wagga Cup (2000m) on Friday.
“Foreteller is the only definite horse I’ll have at the Gold Coast at this stage,” Waller said.
“He’s being aimed for the Doomben Cup but I want to see how he goes in the Hollindale first.”
Foreteller made his autumn comeback finishing 12th to More Joyous in the Group Two Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on March 24 before a much improved sixth to Fast Clip in the Group Three Doncaster Prelude (1600m) at Randwick on April 14.
Waller took comfort from Foreteller’s performance in the Doncaster Prelude.
“I thought it was quite a good run in the Prelude,” he said.
Foreteller has been sparingly raced for a five-year-old with seven wins and one placing from 21 starts.
The son of Dansili has won four times from 12 starts since his arrival in Australia while in France he raced nine times for three wins in succession.
His best win in this country was the Group Three David Jones Cup (2000m) at Caulfield last October.
Waller’s success with tried horses bought from Europe has translated into many race wins locally with other trainers now sourcing stayers from overseas.
The Waller-trained My Kingdom Of Fife, formerly raced by the Queen, won last year’s Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick while Stand To Gain took out the 2011 Sydney Cup.
