Disappointing Japonisme to be vetted

While the Winx bandwagon rolls on relentlessly, it’s not all smooth sailing for the Chris Waller stable’s spring aspirants.

Group One-winning sprinter Japonisme is one of three horses to perform below par at Randwick on Saturday when stablemate Winx won her seventh Group One race in the the George Main Stakes.

“Japonisme, Tsaritsa and Sadler’s Lake will all be checked out thoroughly,” Waller said.

“They will be scoped and we’ll get x-rays done. All three are racing below their best and I doubt they will be racing in the next month.”

Japonisme won the Coolmore Stud Stakes last spring and finished third in a photo-finish to the William Reid Stakes in March.

He won the Group Two Arrowfield Stakes in April and finished third in the BTC Cup but has not performed in two starts as a four-year-old and finished last in Saturday’s Shorts at Randwick.

The Epsom Handicap hopes of Queensland Guineas winner Tsaritsa and Sadler’s Lake were dashed when they finished ninth and 10th respectively in the Bill Ritchie Handicap,.

The Bill Ritchie (1400m), the traditional lead-up to the Epsom on October 1, wasn’t all bad for Waller with Torgersen a close second to Sons Of John in the Group Three race.

“Torgersen, Vanbrugh and McCreery will probably be our leading chances for the Epsom,” Waller said.

Vanbrugh finished fourth in the Geoge Main while McCreery is a last-start winner of the Group Three Kingston Town Stakes (2000m).

Waller believes he will be better suited coming back to the 1600 metres of the Epsom than stepping up to the 2400 of the Metropolitan.

Nominations for both races will be finalised on Monday.

Waller said Friday’s Newcastle Cup winner Sacred Master, and Group One winning stayers Grand Marshal and Who Shot Thebarman would all head to the Metropolitan.