Chris Waller boasts more Group One winners in his stable than any other trainer in Australia and several will step out in two states this week.
Cox Plate winner Winx is scheduled to make her reappearance in Saturday’s Group Two Apollo Stakes at Randwick alongside Grand Marshal and Who Shot Thebarman.
Winx
Boban will be entered for the Apollo (1400m) and the Group One C F Orr Stakes over the same distance at Caulfield with Hong Kong’s Douglas Whyte to ride if he heads to Melbourne.
Glyn Schofield has ridden Boban to his four Group One wins but is serving a suspension which rules him out of Saturday.
He will return to ride against Whyte at Sha Tin on Sunday.
“It’s all weather dependent with Boban,” Waller said.
“We’ll make a final decision on Wednesday but the tracks will decide.”
Caulfield Guineas winner Press Statement will also be nominated for the Orr.
“He’s fit and ready for 1400 metres and if he doesn’t run in the Orr he will go to the Hobartville Stakes in Sydney the following week,” Waller said.
The trainer is taking a different approach from other preparations with stayers Grand Marshal and Who Shot Thebarman.
“I’m doing something different by starting them off at 1400 metres rather than 1600,” he said.
“It’s an extra run in the preparation and means they will get to the BMW rock-hard fit.”
Grand Marshal beat 2014 Auckland Cup winner Who Shot The Barman in last year’s Sydney Cup with both among the victims of interference in the straight when unplaced in the Melbourne Cup.
Who Shot Thebarman went on to win the Zipping Classic at the feature Sandown meeting in November while Grand Marshal was third in the Sandown Cup.
Spring Champion Stakes winner Vanburgh will also head to Caulfield for the Group Two (1400m).
