Champion trainer Chris Waller, despite the demanding nature of Melbourne Cup Week, is keen to maintain his stable’s strong presence at Sandown this weekend.
The Sandown track will host the concluding Group 1 race of the Melbourne season, the $1 million CF Orr Stakes. Accompanying this feature are the traditional Group 2 races, the $750,000 Zipping Classic and the Sandown Guineas, alongside the $1 million Thoroughbred Club Stakes.
Waller will have runners across these prestigious events, including Beiwacht and Angel Capital in the CF Orr Stakes. He acknowledges the challenge for both himself and his horses to remain at peak performance until mid-November but understands the strategic importance and rewards of competing at this later stage of the spring carnival.
“I’m not a huge fan from a training perspective, because you want to give them a break before the autumn,” Waller stated regarding the timing of the Orr Stakes. “But I see it’s also a wagering industry, which is what funds prizemoney, and how important it is for the public to see these horses racing again.”
“It’s pretty clever and I guess that’s the beauty of competition. You see what New South Wales are doing and that’s exactly what Victoria is following with, these better races. It’s exciting to have these good horses racing at the end of the spring.”
Angel Capital, having competed in four races this spring, began its campaign in the Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) on August 8, securing a third-place finish. Subsequently, the colt progressed to the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) on August 29, a race won by Beiwacht.
Beiwacht has achieved three Group 1 victories over 1400 metres, while Angel Capital secured its long-awaited inaugural Group 1 win in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, also contested over 1400 metres, later in the spring. Waller indicated that this consistent form at the distance is the reason he has kept both horses in training.
“They’re both 1400-metre specialists and both entires and it’s an important race for both of them,” Waller explained. “When you think of what are they going to be running in in the autumn, you’d probably have to look at the Newmarket, Futurity, those types of races, the George Ryder and maybe the Canterbury Stakes. They’re the four races, so when it’s their speciality distance, you give it serious consideration to these races.”
A victory for either Beiwacht, with James McDonald in the saddle, or Angel Capital, ridden by Ben Melham, would mark Waller’s 28th Group 1 success for the year, drawing him level with Aidan O’Brien’s record for the most Group 1 wins in a single calendar year.
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