Trainer Chris Waller is confident in pitching Horologist directly from a maiden victory into Group company, aiming to determine if the colt possesses the capability to emerge as an autumn carnival contender.

The exceptionally bred son of the renowned stallion Written Tycoon and Group 1 winner In Her Time, who commanded a $1.8 million price tag as a yearling, requires him to solidify his standing swiftly, particularly given his ownership by a Coolmore-led syndicate focused on sires.

“He’s a Coolmore colt, they’re only interested in the top league in terms of making stallions,” Waller stated. “It’s not a stallion-making race, but he has to be competitive, otherwise they get traded pretty quickly to Hong Kong, or here in Australia. We’ll get him at this level, see where he’s at and work out whether he’s a Guineas horse in the autumn.”

After placing in his initial two outings during the winter, Horologist made a striking return with a 1400m triumph at Warwick Farm last month.

Although his lineage suggests a preference for speed, Waller indicated that the manner of his maiden win suggests he can handle an increase of 200 metres in distance.

“He was a really good winner first up and it was good to see,” he remarked. “He steps up to a mile and a Group Three race, but the way he won would suggest he can take that step. He’s well bred, he’s a good looking horse. They’re horses who can take the step pretty easily.”

Annabel and Rob Archibald are also set to use Saturday’s Spring Stakes (1600m) as a crucial assessment for the undefeated Prince Of Verona.

The Castelvecchio gelding has shown significant improvement, progressing from wins at Bathurst and Goulburn to a midweek success at Warwick Farm, and his connections are eager to observe his performance at stakes level.

“I just love the way he’s improved, and every time we’ve asked him to do a bit more, he has,” Rob Archibald shared. “He’s got himself out of trouble once or twice on the way to here, and he’s picked himself up and finished off really well. I think he’s a really nice horse that is still a long way from the finished article. I’m excited to see him against some Saturday grade horses and we’ll get a really good line on where he fits into his age group.”

With Consulate withdrawn, the Spring Stakes will feature a field of nine, including Horologist’s stablemate Katoto, who is the sole filly entered.

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