Chris Waller will unveil a host of stars in this Saturday’s Winx Stakes, but one who was expected to be in the $1 million event is likely to be at home in her box when the first Group 1 of the season is run at Randwick.
The champion trainer has all-but committed to a change in plan with three-time Group 1 winner Lady Shenandoah, who will be held back from the 1400-metre weight-for-age event that will contain star stablemates Via Sistina, Fangirl and Aeliana.
Waller is eyeing a sprinting program with the daughter of Snitzel, who may not resume until next month.
“We haven’t made the final decision, but I think we are going to go down a sprinting path because we are so top-heavy (in middle-distance races),” Waller said after Lady Shenandoah worked over 800m on the course proper at Rosehill on Saturday.
“We’ve gone through her races, arguably her best win in the Autumn was the Light Fingers (1200m), she beat Lady Of Camelot easily. The next couple of races were tighter finishes.
“She has won Group Ones over a mile, 1500 metres and 1400 metres, so she is pretty versatile.
“I think we will start her off shorter. We might even look at like a 1000-metre race in a few weeks’ time, the Concorde Stakes.
“(It’s) a million-dollar race and that might just give us a chance to put her on that sprinting path where we’re top-heavy with our mile/2000m horses and Joliestar in the sprinting ranks. But I think Lady Shenandoah could join her.”
Lady Shenandoah has won her past five starts, including the Flight Stakes (1600m), Surround Stakes (1400m) and Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Group 1 level.
The Group 3 Concorde Stakes is run at Randwick on September 6, the same day as the $750,000 Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley.
“I thought about the Moir first up but if that was the case she would be running over a 1000m, which she’s never run, and she would be running in Melbourne for the first time as well,” Waller said.
“I think it is safer to run the same day as the Moir in Sydney in that Concorde, then she can go to wherever we want.
“We can go to a Manikato, back for an Everest and we can still plot a path towards the Golden Eagle or step her up at any stage because we know she wins over a mile.”
Lady Shenandoah, who remained prominent at $6 in Winx Stakes odds on Sunday morning, is $4.50 second favourite for the $10m Golden Eagle on November 1 and is an $11 chance in the $20m The Everest, which is run two weeks earlier.
