The reputation of star New Zealand three-year-old Sacred Falls goes on the line at Rosehill on Saturday.
Unbeaten in six starts including the Group One 2000 Guineas, the colt has been transferred from Tony Pike to Chris Waller for his autumn campaign and is one of 12 nominations for the Group Two Royal Sovereign Stakes (1200m).
Waller admits he is still getting to know Sacred Falls who will have the familiar hands of Kiwi jockey Leith Innes to guide him.
“Leith knows the horse well so it will be good to have him there,” Waller said.
“He is a tricky horse. He can get back but he has a great finish.
“I’d like to see him get out of the barriers smartly and not give away too much of a start to these horses.”
A New Zealand premiership winner, Innes has ridden extensively in Australia, Japan and Singapore.
He made the trip to Sydney on February 1 to ride Sacred Falls in a barrier trial in which the colt finished fourth to More Joyous.
Among his opposition on Saturday will be another unbeaten colt, Rebel Dane, who is making his first foray into stakes racing.
His trainer Gary Portelli scratched him from Rosehill last Saturday week when the track was heavy and gave him a barrier trial the following Monday.
“He’s had two trials now and is wound up enough,” Portelli said.
“I had him ready two weeks ago and he’s where he was at then.
“We’ll know more after this weekend about what class of horse he is and where we go from there.
“I’m disappointed Pierro is staying here and not going to Melbourne because I’d rather not run into him in the Hobartville.”
Jason Collett, who has ridden Rebel Dane to all three of his restricted wins, retains the mount in the Royal Sovereign.
Pierro is set to run in a barrier trial at Warwick Farm on Friday ahead of his return in the Group Two Hobartville Stakes (1400m) on March 2.
The colt has won eight of his 10 starts, being beaten for the first time in the Caulfield Guineas by All Too Hard before running third to Ocean Park and All Too Hard in the Cox Plate.
