Chris Waller toyed with splitting fillies Zougotcha and Madame Pommery after they ran the quinella in the Tea Rose Stakes before deciding both deserved their chance at a Group 1 win.
As a result, the pair will clash again in Saturday’s Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick, the final leg of the four-race Princess Series.
While Zougotcha is a $3.40 second favourite and Madame Pommery a $16 chance, Waller is adamant the latter’s Tea Rose Stakes run was no fluke and says both three-year-olds can make their presence felt.
“Zougotcha, she might just keep improving and Madame Pommery, I’m sure it wasn’t just a one-off run,” Waller said.
“She (Madame Pommery) improved from 1200 to 1400, maybe she can do the same to a mile.”
Like most of their Flight Stakes rivals, Zougotcha and Madame Pommery will be extending to 1600m for the first time.
Only She’s Extreme, a Group 1 winner of the Champagne Stakes over the journey as a two-year-old, Fireburn, who was runner-up in the same race, and Pavitra, a winner over 1860m at Newcastle two starts back, have experience at the distance.
An eye-catching fifth in the Golden Rose, Fireburn has been heavily backed in early markets and after opening at $3.50, she is a clear-cut $2.30 favourite.
The support for the Golden Slipper winner has resulted in Zougotcha easing from $3 to $3.40, while there has been specking for Pavitra, who has firmed from $71 into $41.
Waller had an afternoon to remember on the corresponding program in 2019 when he claimed all three Group 1 races, the Epsom Handicap with Kolding, Metropolitan with Come Play With Me and Flight Stakes with Funstar.
He has multiple runners in each major on Saturday with Hinged and Fangirl headlining his trio of Epsom contenders and Durston leading his five-strong charge for the Metropolitan.
