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It comes down to winning for premier trainer Chris Waller with his classy group of three-year-old fillies.
It was the reason Ballet Suite was beating the older horses at Randwick on Wednesday and why Wine Tales will probably be in the Keith Nolan Classic at Kembla Grange on Friday.
On Saturday Thousand Guineas winner Amicus is in the Coolmore Classic as she is already a group 1 winner, which leaves Winx to take on the boys in the Phar Lap Stakes at Rosehill.
“I have four good fillies and they are going to get a chance to win a race this week,” Waller said after Ballet Suite in the Coolmore silks swooped down the centre to score on Wednesday.
“She could have gone to the Nolan but I thought she just needed another run to be at that level and this race suited. Wine Tales is likely to be there at Kembla and it fits with her program.
“They are all probably going to meet in the Vinery [Stud Stakes] but this week it is about giving them their chance to win.”
Ballet Suite was moved to fourth favourite at $9 for the Australian Oaks, behind VRC Oaks winner Set Square, Adrift and First Seal, after Wednesday’s win despite it being in restricted grade. However it left jockey Kerrin McEvoy impressed.
“She is looking for further now and is a lovely filly,” McEvoy said.
Amicus will lead a big team for the Waller stable on the opening day of the Golden Slipper carnival at Rosehill on Saturday.
Waller decided to give her the chance in the open mares group 1 after a couple of runs in the Light Fingers Stakes and Surround Stakes, where she has been a few lengths off star filly and Coolmore favourite First Seal.
“She gets a few kilos off First Seal. She has won a group 1 and it is worth have another crack on her home track at 1500 metres,” Waller said.
“Winx hasn’t got that group 1, so she will be better suited against her own age.”
Waller will have his male three-year-olds taking on champion sprinters in the Newmarket Handicap. Lightning Stakes runner-up Brazen Beau and Delectation have tuned up with jumpouts down the straight but Waller is aware of the task in front of them.
“It is going to be a good race. It is a handicap and they have got a good chance,” he said.
“You are racing against two of the best sprinters in the world [Lankan Rupee and Terravista] and arguably Chautauqua is chopping at their heels.
“I think Chautauqua is well weighted. He is basically on the same scale as Brazen Beau if you look at weight-for-age.
“My two have both had the perfect preparation for this and should run well.”
Foreteller will look for another group 1 in the Australian Cup after a handy sixth behind Contributer in the Chipping Norton Stakes last month.
“He might be a little under the radar. He won a Underwood Stakes only six months ago, so he has shown he is up to this grade before,” Waller said.
Waller is set to barrier trial another Coolmore horse in Cox Plate winner Adelaide at Warwick Farm on Thursday. It will decide how he will get to the Queen Elizabeth Stakes during The Championships, where he is the $4.60 favourite.
“I’d like to see him jump well, travel well and let down nicely on the bridle. I wouldn’t expect him to win the trial but I want to see him do things properly and go through his gears,” Waller said.
Stewards have stepped up the integrity focus for the carnival with six jockeys drug tested at Randwick on Wednesday after out-of-competition testing of carnival horses at Randwick and Warwick Farm on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Harness Racing NSW stewards disqualified trainer Damien Gallagher for 25 years after he was found guilty on his sixth offence relating to TCO2.
Source: smh.com.au