Premier trainer Chris Waller’s approach to weight-for-age sprint races in Sydney and Melbourne at the weekend won’t be finalised until close to acceptance time on Wednesday.
Waller has Boban, Sizzling and Moriarty entered for the Apollo Stakes at Randwick but he could split his team to chase Group One success in the Futurity Stakes at Caulfield.
Boban, Glyn Schofield - Photo by Sharon Chapman
The Rosehill trainer also has Sizzling nominated for the Futurity and the former Queensland-trained four-year-old is firming as a starter in the $500,000 race.
“He will more than likely only accept in Melbourne with Craig Newitt to ride,” Waller’s racing manager Liam Prior said.
Sizzling was responsible for an eye-catching debut for Waller when he returned the best result of the trainer’s three Expressway Stakes runners at Randwick on February 1.
A Group One winning two-year-old, Sizzling made late ground to take the minor placing behind Appearance in the Expressway Stakes at his first start since finishing midfield in the Epsom Handicap.
Waller had earmarked the Futurity as a target race before the entire resumed, confident the $1.3 million earner would be more effective second-up into his autumn campaign.
In Sizzling’s possible absence, Waller will be looking to Boban to improve on an Expressway result that was below the form that carried him through an unbeaten spring, highlighted by Epsom and Emirates Stakes victories.
Eleven horses have been nominated for the Apollo and Saturday’s field is expected to include Howmuchdoyouloveme after the talented sprinter passed a barrier trial examination for stewards at Rosehill on Tuesday.
Howmuchdoyouloveme beat one runner home in the Expressway but he looked much sharper in accounting for New Zealand three-year-old Atlante in a 1030m heat.
Brisbane trainer Liam Birchley has confirmed smart mare Emmalene for the Group Three Triscay Stakes.
It will be a case of “take two” for Birchley when it comes to getting Emmalene to Sydney this time in.
“She had a touch of colic before she was about to leave last week for the Breeders’ Classic and she had to be treated,” Birchley said.
