Chris Waller to have strong Qld Oaks hand

Tough filly Savacool will join Chris Waller’s northern team to give the new Hall of Fame trainer an even stronger hand in the Queensland Oaks at Doomben.

Waller, who trained the Doomben Cup quinella with Comin’ Through and last year’s Queensland Oaks winner Egg Tart on Saturday, has eight of the 20 first acceptors for the Group One Queensland Oaks (2200m) including favourite Youngstar and second favourite Another Dollar.

They all should make the field with Impulsive winning at the Gold Coast on Saturday to get away from the zone which would have made her an emergency.

“I will talk with the staff and decide exactly how many runners I will have by Tuesday,” Waller said.

“Youngstar and Another Dollar worked strongly at the Gold Coast on Saturday morning and I was p[leased with the report.”

Youngstar beat Another Dollar into second place in the Doomben Roses which is the traditional lead-up to the Oaks.

The Roses winner hasn’t been a great guide to the Oaks in recent times but this year the Group One race will be run over the Doomben 2200m instead the Eagle Farm 2400m.

Savacool has taken a different path with her last start a seventh in the Group One Schweppes Oaks at Morphettville.

A $220,000 buy at the Waikato Sales, Savacool is raced in much the same interests as Another Dollar including some of Waller’s biggest owners, Peter Tighe, Frank Cook and Noel Greenhalgh.

“Savacool is a promising filly and deserves another chance at black type,” Waller said.

Tighe is a co-owner of the Waller-trained champion Winx who claimed her first of a record 18 Group One wins in the 2015 Queensland Oaks.

Winx was inducted to the Racing Hall of Fame last year and her seven-time Sydney premiership-winning trainer was recognised on Friday.