The field for the Group One Epsom Handicap at Randwick has been released with an group of horses.
Funstar opened the all-in markets as one of the favourites but has eased slightly from $9 to $11 after the draw with stablemate Star Of The Seas firming into $6 outright favouritism after landing gate one.
The pair is among eight Epsom Handicap runners for Waller, who will be striving to win the race for the fifth time.
Market 💰: View the Odds for the Epsom Handicap
The in-form Tommy Berry will partner Rock for Hawkes Racing, a week after the jockey-trainer combination teamed up to win the $1 million Golden Rose with Ole Kirk.
Berry will be chasing his third major in as many weeks having also claimed the Group One George Main Stakes aboard Kolding seven days earlier.
Rock comes into Saturday’s race after winning the Cameron Handicap at Newcastle for the second year in a row and Berry says the backmarker can feature provided he gets a firm surface.
“There is a real sense of timing about this bloke,” Berry said.
“Dry tracks have been his key to success in the past and it’s looking quite nice out there at the moment.
“Drawing 13 is not a big disadvantage to him, he likes to get back in his races anyway.”
Rock remains solid in the market at $9 while New Zealand mare Probabeel eased a point to $7 after drawing barrier 18.
| No | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Penalty | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KOLDING (NZ) | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 20 | 56.5kg | ||||
| 2 | MISTER SEA WOLF (IRE) | Chris Waller | Brenton Avdulla | 4 | 56kg | ||||
| 3 | STAR OF THE SEAS (NZ) | Chris Waller | Nash Rawiller | 1 | 55.5kg | ||||
| 4 | IMAGING (GB) | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 21 | 55.5kg | ||||
| 5 | NETTOYER | Wendy Roche | James Innes Jnr | 14 | 54kg | ||||
| 6 | BRANDENBURG (NZ) | John Sargent | Jason Collett | 3 | 54kg | ||||
| 7 | YULONG PRINCE (SAF) | Chris Waller | Sam Clipperton | 2 | 54kg | ||||
| 8 | THE CANDY MAN | Peter & Paul Snowden | Regan Bayliss | 9 | 53.5kg | ||||
| 9 | WILD PLANET | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Tim Clark | 6 | 53kg | ||||
| 10 | NICCANOVA | Craig Carmody | 11 | 53kg | |||||
| 11 | PROBABEEL (NZ) | Jamie Richards | Kerrin McEvoy | 18 | 52.5kg | ||||
| 12 | FUNSTAR | Chris Waller | Glen Boss | 19 | 52.5kg | ||||
| 13 | ROCK | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Tommy Berry | 13 | 52.5kg | 1.5kg | |||
| 14 | COLETTE | James Cummings | Ms Rachel King | 10 | 52kg | ||||
| 15 | RELOADED | Chris Waller | Ms Kathy O’Hara | 7 | 51kg | ||||
| 16 | LOOKS LIKE ELVIS | Jarrod Austin | Ms Jess Taylor | 8 | 50kg | ||||
| 17 | RIODINI (NZ) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Ms Winona Costin | 12 | 50kg | ||||
| 18 | SAVACOOL (NZ) | Chris Waller | Ms Alysha Collett | 16 | 50kg | ||||
| 19 | GLENALL | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Brock Ryan (a) | 5 | 50kg | ||||
| 20 | VANNA GIRL | Toby & Trent Edmonds | Robbie Dolan | 15 | 50kg | ||||
| 21e | JUST THINKIN’ | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 17 | 50kg |
