It is not uncommon for trainer Chris Waller to present multiple runners in a significant race, and his four fillies contesting the Tea Rose Stakes certainly add a compelling element to the third event of the Princess Series.
Striking Alibi, a former Perth-based three-year-old, is the dominant market selection among Waller’s quartet. This comes after her impressive third-place finish in her Sydney debut at the Furious Stakes (1200m) last month.
This performance was the deciding factor for leading jockey James McDonald when selecting her over stablemate Sing Your Song for the Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) on Saturday.
“That’s the reason James opted to ride her because he’s got a very good opinion of (stablemate) Sing Your Song,” Waller’s Sydney representative, Charlie Duckworth, stated.
“He was given the option as a race-by-race proposition to ride whichever one he wanted in the race, and he chose to go with Striking Alibi, so that’s a pretty good push.”
The remaining three contenders from Waller’s stable – Sing Your Song, Kototo, and Sequinned – have been kept race-fit in midweek competitions, and Duckworth indicated that all are showing promise.
Sing Your Song, a full sibling to the stakes winner Matias, secured her maiden victory over 1400m at Warwick Farm in her last outing.
Her primary objective is the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) scheduled for two weeks after this Saturday, but Duckworth anticipates she will be a strong contender at Randwick.
“She hasn’t missed a beat. She galloped really well on Tuesday morning, and 1400 on a big track will be right up her alley,” he commented.
“And beyond that, a mile in the Flight, she’ll be ready to peak. She is learning with each and every gallop, each and every race. She has just taken a bit of time to mentally put it all together.”
Kototo also boasts an impressive pedigree, being a half-sister to last Saturday’s Sheraco Stakes victor Savvy Hallie, by Wootton Bassett. The “pretty speedy” Sequinned is a sibling to the established stallion Bivouac.
Duckworth believes Kototo, who achieved a stakes placing in Brisbane during the winter, will benefit from Saturday’s distance after a narrow fourth to Sequinned over a shorter distance upon resuming.
“She’s one we’ve always held in really high regard. She is thrown in the deep end on Saturday, but she won’t disgrace herself,” Duckworth concluded.
The Australian betting sites are offering competitive odds for the Tea Rose Stakes.