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Waller Facing Critical Carnival Decisions

3 minute read

Chris Waller’s spring carnival team will press ahead without Catkins and possibly Royal Descent while a Victoria Derby start for Vanbrugh remains undecided.

Vanbrugh
Vanbrugh Picture: Racing and Sports

Royal Descent will be monitored following her tough run in Saturday’s Caulfield Cup before Waller decides if she has another start over the carnival.

Waller confirmed that Catkins would not stay in work for the G1 Myer Classic at Flemington on Saturday week following her disappointing ninth in Saturday’s Tristarc Stakes at Caulfield.

It was the second successive below par performance from the normally reliable Catkins and indicative that her form has been affected by the firm tracks she has encountered in her last two starts in Sydney and Melbourne.

“We might do some scintigraphy on her but she’ll definitely go for a spell,” Waller reported.

Royal Descent finished last in the Caulfield Cup after she was forced to race three wide for the entire trip from her wide barrier.

Waller said he will take a few days to decide if she should go to the paddock or comes back in distance for either the Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) or Myer Classic (1600m) on Saturday week.

The biggest decision facing Waller is whether he presses on to the Victoria Derby with Spring Champion Stakes winner Vanbrugh but admits he is being tempted by the $1.5 million classic on Saturday week after the three-year-old produced a sparkling gallop on Saturday morning.

“He galloped brilliantly,” Waller said. “I will need to decide by Tuesday whether he goes to the Derby

“It’s not really going to do anything for his value, it’s just really whether we want to have a good chance at winning a Derby.”

Waller has listed a big team of horses to gallop during the “Breakfast with the Best” trackwork session at Moonee Valley on Tuesday morning.

His three Cox Plate runners Preferment, Winx and Kermadec are down to work along with eight other members of his carnival team entered for races at Moonee Valley on Saturday including Strawberry Boy, Flamingo Star, Moriarty, Index Linked and Hawkspur.

Hugh Bowman will select his Cox Plate mount from Winx and Preferment after they gallop on Tuesday ahead of the declaration of the Cox Plate field and barrier draw that follows the trackwork session.

More than 50 horses have been listed to work at Moonee Valley on Tuesday from 18 different stables. The trainers sending teams to the Valley to work include John O’Shea, Gai Waterhouse, Mick Price, Tony McEvoy, Lee Freedman, Anthony Cummings, James Cummings, Rob Heathcote, John Thompson and Robbie Griffiths.

None of the international horses stabled at Werribee are scheduled to travel to Moonee Valley on Tuesday.
Racing and Sports

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