The Spring picture will take greater shape on Tuesday, when entries for the Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) close, but Chris Waller has reiterated a warning to punters around the favourite for one of those majors.
The Hall of Fame horseman said the 2400-metre Caulfield Cup was an ‘unlikely’ destination for glamour four-year-old Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio).
The Star Thoroughbreds mare shot towards the head of Caulfield Cup betting after a 5-1/4-length romp in the Gr.1 ATC Australian Derby (2400m) in April, but Waller remains unconvinced that this is the year to test the daughter of Castelvecchio in that event.
“I don’t normally push our four-year-old fillies, as I call them, to a Caulfield Cup,” Waller said.
“She will be nominated but it would be unlikely.”
Charms Star (NZ) (Per Incanto), who finished last in 2021, is the most recent of only four four-year-old mares Waller has started in the Caulfield Cup.
The others are Toffee Tongue (NZ) (Tavistock) (14th in 2020), Youngstar (High Chaparral) (7th in 2018) and Royal Descent (Redoute’s Choice) (5th in 2013).
Waller’s first Caulfield Cup success came in 2020 with five-year-old mare Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed), while he was also successful three years ago with imported gelding Durston (Sea The Moon).
Despite Waller’s warning, Aeliana is $8 favourite for the $5 million Caulfield Cup, which will be run on October 18, and is an $11 chance in the following week’s $6 million Cox Plate.
The latter market is headed by Aeliana’s stablemate Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock), who will be among a big throng of Waller gallopers among Tuesday’s nominations.
Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel), Fangirl (Sebring) and Buckaroo (Fastnet Rock) are other big names likely to feature in Cox Plate entries, with the latter also to feature in the Caulfield Cup, in which he finished second last year.
Several of Waller’s stars are down to trial this week, but the Randwick trials scheduled for Tuesday have been transferred to Thursday owing to 154mm of rain in the past five days.
Via Sistina and Fangirl remain in the first trial, Aeliana and Lady Shenandoah in Trial 2, while Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) and Wodeton (Wooten Bassett) also feature in the entries.
Ciaron Maher will also produce big names with Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto), Another Wil (Street Boss), Light Infantry Man (Fast Company), Zardozi (Kingman) and Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto) to trial, while Vauban (Galiway), Stefi Magnetica (All Too Hard) and Linebacker (NZ) (Super Seth) among other high-profile gallopers listed to step out.
