Waller pair out to cement Oaks claim

The VRC Oaks had not been a race that had been on the radar for champion trainer Chris Waller.

It was only last year that Waller finally saddled his first runner in the Classic, a race that dates back to 1861 which coincided with the first staging of the Melbourne Cup.

The race for three-year-olds is run over a testing 2500 metres and comes early in the season for the fillies.

Last year Waller prepared The Pearls to finish second to Strictly Business with the filly having not been sighted on the racetrack since.

Waller is preparing to have two runners in this year’s Group 1 race at Flemington on Thursday week, but first the pair will run in the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday.

The Wakeful is considered the traditional lead-up to the Oaks and Waller has three fillies engaged in the race – De Armas, Your Colour and Tharwa.

It will be the latter two that Waller plans on heading to the Oaks with.

“Your Colour ran second last start, and Tharwa ran fourth in the same race,” Waller said.

“I can’t split them and if anything, Tharwa is one to watch.

“They both drew wide at Caulfield and Tharwa had to come around them and made a lot of ground but was still strong on the line.

“They’re two exciting fillies heading towards an Oaks while De Armas, she’s already Group 1 placed, but we might pull up after Saturday.”

Waller explained that The Pearls along with Your Colour and Tharwa were the right types of fillies to be heading to the Oaks.

“We brought the right horse for it,” Waller said of finally having his first Oaks runner last year.

“These two fillies are well prepared and we’re not rushing them into the race.

“They’ve had the run at 2000 metres in the Ethereal last start, and I think that’s important, plus they have the pedigrees to suggest they can get 2500 metres on Oaks Day.”