Chris Waller has already claimed two of the four Group One races run this season and is on a quest to build on that this week in Melbourne.
Waller will have runners in Saturday’s Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) and the Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield.
And while Sydney doesn’t have a Group One event on Saturday, some of Waller’s potential elite winners will prepare for their future assignments in stakes races at home at Rosehill.
“We will have Amicus as a definite runner in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and most likely Strawberry Boy,” Waller said.
“We will also nominate Catkins and see what weight she gets.
“But she is more likely to run in the Golden Pendant at Rosehill while Strawberry Boy needs a dry track which might be more likely at Caulfield given the weather forecast for the week.
“Weary and Moriarty will run in the Underwood.”
Amicus is a last-start winner of the Let’s Elope Stakes while Strawberry Boy was a close fourth in the Tramway Stakes.
Weary finished ninth, beaten two lengths, in the Group One Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington while veteran Moriarty was scratched from Saturday’s Group One George Main Stakes at Randwick in favour of the Underwood.
Their stablemate Kermadec won the George Main adding to Boban’s win in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield last month with Glyn Schofield riding both.
Waller will rely on Ming Dynasty winner Metallic Crown in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) with Press Statement to run in the Group Two Stan Fox Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.
“Jim Cassidy will ride Metallic Crown and Strawberry Boy at Caulfield,” Waller said.
“The set weights suit Press Statement better in the Stan Fox because he is a Group One winner.
“Hugh Bowman will ride him and he will go to the Caulfield Guineas after that.”
Waller said he was not unhappy with Tye Angland who rode Press Statement when he finished an unlucky fifth in the Golden Rose.
“We are just going to try Hugh on him,” he said.
“We don’t have stable riders and we are just trying something different.
“Tye will get plenty of other opportunities.”
