Chris Waller’s preference is to run Verry Elleegant in the Cox Plate but the champion trainer is keeping the door ajar for the Caulfield Cup until after the mare works at The Valley.
Waller has favourite Finche and Naturalism Stakes winner Brimham Rocks heading to Saturday’s $5 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) and both galloped on the Caulfield course proper on Tuesday morning, with race jockey Michael Walker giving Finche a glowing endorsement.
Acceptances for the Caulfield Cup are on Wednesday and while Waller said Finche and Brimham Rocks will most likely be his only two starters, he will wait until after Verry Elleegant gallops at the home of the Cox Plate earlier that morning before making a final call.
“There’s a very small chance that Verry Elleegant could run,” Waller said.
“She’s going to Moonee Valley tomorrow morning. If she gets around Moonee Valley well my preference is to go there, just giving her the three weeks between runs.
“And I just don’t think she’s quite seasoned enough for a Caulfield Cup this year.
“So I want to see her get around Moonee Valley first. James McDonald will ride her tomorrow morning and if that’s the case, I would say she will run in the 2019 Cox Plate.”
Verry Elleegant won two Group One races for fillies during the autumn and returned to winning ways in the Hill Stakes in Sydney last Saturday week.
Waller said last year’s Queensland Oaks winner Youngstar, who holds a 2019 Caulfield Cup nomination, will run in the St Leger in Sydney on Saturday.
The winner of Wednesday’s Coongy Cup at Caulfield earns a ballot exemption into the Caulfield Cup if they are already nominated.
The Waller-trained import Yulong Prince is one of two Coongy runners, along with the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Wolfe, in the Caulfield Cup entries.
But Waller said it was unlikely Yulong Prince would go to the Caulfield Cup if he won the Coongy.
“There’s lots of nice races coming up,” he said.
