Trainer Chris Waller is prioritising race fitness over a freshen-up as he maps out the ideal preparation for Beiwacht’s assault on a significant Group 1 double.
The accomplished Group 1 winner has made his way back to Sydney following a performance outside the placings in the Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on September 27. He is now set to compete in Saturday’s Silver Eagle (1300m) at Randwick.
While both Waller and the owners, Godolphin, contemplated the option of sending Beiwacht directly to the Golden Eagle (1500m) on October 31, the decision was made that an intermediate run would be more beneficial.
“The Golden Eagle is his target race, and we thought, do we go into that race fresh, or do we give him a run in between?” Waller explained. “We went with this race because he’s going to need to be rock-hard fit for the 1500 in two weeks’ time.”
Beiwacht, a spectacular victor of last year’s Golden Rose (1400m), is on a spring campaign with the ambition of becoming the first horse to win the three-year-old feature and then claim the subsequent Golden Eagle (1500m) in the following season.
However, his immediate objective is at Randwick this Saturday. He is anticipated to be a strong contender, listed as the $3.20 second favourite behind Skyhook, trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, who is priced at $2.70 and aims to extend a winning streak to four.
Nevertheless, the Silver Eagle is far from a contest solely between two horses, drawing a competitive field that also features Attica, Apocalyptic, and the promising trio of Decorum, Night Agent, and Plaintiff.
“Skyhook is a damn good horse. It won’t be an easy run, and there are a few others in it too,” Waller commented. “It just shows how these pop-up races can really develop into something. The Silver Eagle worth $1 million is massive and obviously it targets (horses going) into the Golden Eagle. Like the Five Diamonds Prelude next week is worth $1 million and that goes into a $2 million race for five-year-olds. It really is a big thing for the participants, and if we get behind it and build these fields as we are, it will just continue to grow.”
Beiwacht and Skyhook are both prominent in the Golden Eagle betting markets, trading at $6 and $8 respectively, with Sheza Alibi being the slightly easy $1.80 favourite.
For those looking to back a winner in the Silver Eagle, consider the wide range of Australian betting sites available to compare the latest racing odds.
