It will be a fitting reminder of the strength of Sydney’s premier stable when Chris Waller saddles up three chances in the final stakes race of the season.
Waller has Tales Of Grimm, Marenostro and Group One placed New Zealander Sacred Master making his Australian debut in the 1500m Listed Winter Challenge at Rosehill on Saturday.
The trainer’s remarkable season will come to an end on Saturday and the race will be his last chance to add to 56 stakes wins across Australia in 2015/16.
Tales Of Grimm only beat one runner home last start in the Listed Winter Stakes (1400m) and will start from barrier seven on Saturday.
“He hasn’t drawn ideally but it would be nice to see him sit a bit closer on Saturday,” Waller said.
“It’s close to the right race for him.”
Marenostro finished fourth in the Winter Stakes and has drawn well in barrier three this time.
“The last 100 metres of his race the other day was good. He was closing,” Waller said.
“Hopefully in this race it will be similar.”
Marenostro meets Winter Stakes winner Oxford Poet better off at the weights this time.
At Sacred Master’s last start he finished third in the Auckland Cup (3200m), indicating he is one of a slew of horses in Saturday’s race who will appreciate longer races.
Waller said the Wyong and Newcastle Cups would be a longer-term target for Sacred Master.
Godolphin trainer John O’Shea, who will finish the season second in the Sydney standings, has Allergic and Alegria in the race, with both horses kicking off their preparations in the race.
Allergic placed in the Group One SA Derby as a three-year-old and finished his last preparation with two Listed placings.
Alegria comes into the race off two barrier trials.
In the mare’s most recent start she finished second behind Libran in the Group Two Chairman’s Handicap over 2600m on April 2.
The Matthew Smith-trained Zin Zan Eddie will be looking to improve on his runner-up performance in the Winter Stakes, but won’t be assisted by fine Sydney weather which looks set to dry the Rosehill track.
