Chris Waller will revert to what has worked best for Beiwacht previously in an attempt to get a Golden Rose-style performance out of the colt.
The Bivouac three-year-old has returned to Sydney after a couple of unplaced runs on the Flemington straight course and will be part of a powerful team for Waller in Saturday’s $750,000 Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick.
It will be the first start in Sydney for Beiwacht since his brilliant win in last year’s Group 1 Golden Rose, which preceded a fourth placing in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) last November and a first-up last placing in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) last month.
“It just didn’t work out down the straight,” Waller said.
“He’s got a very high cruising speed, but probably not high enough to be racing against 1000-metre horses.
“I think it’s more a 12 to 1500-metre cruising speed, where he can sustain it.
“We’ve got to get him back into that type of racing and we thought the Canterbury Stakes was the best option.
“His win the Golden Rose in a similar type of race, his rating was through the roof – like, world-standard – so we’ve just got to try and simulate that and get back to that level.”
Beiwacht broke the Rosehill 1400m track record in the Golden Rose, when he scored by a touch over four lengths from stablemate Wodeton and glamour filly Tempted, who won last Saturday’s Group 1 Surround Stakes.
Beiwacht is one of three Waller-trained runners among the Canterbury Stakes entries, joined by Joliestar and Lady Shenandoah.
The Group 1-winning mares head to the Canterbury Stakes after running first and third respectively when first-up in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) on February 14, performances Waller was delighted with.
“They both ran well first-up, Joliestar was awesome and she’s come through it well,” he said.
“The 1300 will suit her and Lady Shenandoah was brilliant first-up as well.
“It was a slowly-run race and she got in a spot where she just needed a bit of time to get out of (but) she was strong to the line.”
The Canterbury Stakes is one of two Group 1s at Randwick this Saturday, joined by Randwick Guineas, in which Waller also has the pre-post favourite, Autumn Boy.
