Sydney’s premier trainer Chris Waller is set to dominate the Listed $100,000 Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday with five runners in the final field of fourteen.
Strawberry Boy is one five runners trainer Chris Waller will saddle up in the Festival Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Waller will saddle up Strawberry Boy (Joshua Parr, barrier 9), Heart Testa (Hugh Bowman, 8), Hoylonny (Jason Collet, 12), I’m Imposing (Tye Angland, 6) and Multilateral (Glyn Schofield, 14).
Strawberry Boy and Heart Testa are both last start winners, I’m Imposing is coming off a Group 1 assignment in Melbourne while Hoylonny and Multilateral are both resuming from a break.
Strawberry Boy was having his first start for the Waller stable when he won the Listed $100,000 Lander Toyota Ladies Day Cup (1400m) at Hawkesbury on November 6 beating Monton and stablemate Heart Testa.
Heart Testa has raced since for a win in the $85,000 Cellarbrations Kingswood Park Handicap (1350m) at Rosehill on November 15.
I’m Imposing was given his chance at Group 1 level but was beaten when twelve and three quarter lengths fourteenth in the $1m Emirates Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on November 8.
Hoylonny was given a break after finishing ninth in the Group 3 $125,000 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on September 13 and Multilateral hasn’t raced since running sixth of seven in the Group 3 $125,000 Colin Stephen Quality (2400m) at Rosehill on September 27.
Topweight Monton is racing in good form with a win and two seconds from last three starts and has Sam Clipperton back in the saddle and will jump from barrier ten.
The Ron Quinton trained Monton is lining up for his fourth Festival Stakes. The eight year old will be trying to repeat his winning effort in 2011 and he also ran second in 2012 but was unplaced last year with Clipperton on board in all three.
Trainer Tony McEvoy will make a decision later in the week if Mouro will start in the Festival Stakes or go to Brisbane to run in the Listed $100,000 Tattersall’s Recognition Stakes (1630m) at Doomben.
Kerrin McEvoy has been engaged to ride Mouro who has 59kgs and barrier three in the Festival Stakes while top Brisbane jockey Michael Cahill has been booked for the Recognition Stakes where he will carry 61kgs and has been given the visitor’s draw of thirteen in the fourteen horse field.
Generalife has returned from a Melbourne campaign and trainer John O’Shea is hoping for a change of luck after the five year old has filled the placings at his last three starts including a last start second in the Group 3 $150,000 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1300m) at Sandown November 15.
The Lonhro gelding has come up with barrier four with Blake Shinn to ride.
Queensland Guineas winner Sir Moments is certain to settle back in the second half of the field after drawing gate eleven with regular rider Tim Bell sticking with the Steven O’Dea trained four year old.
The Scott Asprey trained Estoinian Princess has drawn the inside with Brenton Avdulla back in the saddle.
Avdulla was aboard Estonian Princess two starts back when the mare was beaten less than two lengths when fifth to Bonaria in the Group 1 $500,000 Myer Classic (1600m) at Flemington on November 1.
