Pressday will resume in the Listed Starlight Stakes

Chris Waller will begin Pressday’s spring campaign with a run in the Listed Starlight Stakes in Sydney this weekend.

The four-year-old gelding will be having his first run since his unsuccessful autumn campaign, in which he was unable to place in any of his three runs.

Pressday was initially nominated for last Saturday’s Missile Stakes, however, Waller opted to run him this weekend instead.

“I just didn’t think he was quite fit enough for a pressure race like the Missile and it could have blown him apart,” Waller said.

“I just thought it was a better option at 1100 metres rather than a pressure 1200 metres at weight for age.”

Pressday excelled as a two-year-old, winning the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes, but was unable to find his footing during his three-year-old season.

Waller feels that his recent five month spell has done wonders for Pressday’s progress.

“He has matured a lot physically and mentally but he’s a hard horse to fire up on the training tracks which is what gives you an accurate guide on how he’s going,” Waller said.

“So I just hope he turns up on Saturday.”

A Cox Plate campaign is resting on Pressday’s ability to prove himself this weekend.

“Saturday will tell us a lot (about where he’s going in the spring),” Waller said.

“If he comes back he’s up to the Cox Plate but he’s got to come back.”