Chris Waller has three leading chances in the 2014 George Main Stakes this weekend and the leading trainer has revealed that Royal Descent may be his best winning hope in the Group 1 event at Royal Randwick this weekend.
Chris Waller rates Royal Descent his best winning chance in the 2014 George Main Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart
Royal Descent has not recorded a race win since she took out the Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m) in dominant fashion during the 2013 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, but she returned to the races with two close seconds in the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on August 23 and Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at the same venue a fortnight later.
Hawkspur was able to score a narrow win over Royal Descent in the Chelmsford Stakes, but Waller is unsure whether the Purrealist gelding will be able to repeat the dose in the George Main Stakes and is leaning towards the talented mare in the $300,000 event.
“It is hard to separate my three,” Waller told TVN.
“They are all very good horses and I am not just sitting on the fence.
“Royal Descent is third-up from a spell, her two lead-up runs have been close seconds, which is the right form and she has worked exceptionally well this week.
“Hawkspur beat her last start, aided by a very good ride and will he beat her again?
“I am not sure.
“She hasn’t won a race in over a year, it has been 18 months since she won the Australian Oaks by ten lengths, but she has run some pretty good seconds and she is rock hard fit and ready to go.”
Sacred Falls rounds out the Waller-trained trio in the 2014 George Main Stakes field and the record-breaking trainer is not ruling out the talented entire.
Waller revealed that Sacred Falls had been set for a third-up tilt at the George Main Stakes and he believes that the son of O’Reilly is ready to peak after finishing fourth in both the Warwick Stakes and Chelmsford Stakes.
“Sacred Falls is a double Doncaster winner and he is coming back with the same training program that we had last year, which was two runs before his Grand Final,” Waller said.
“Last year (in the autumn) he ran two fourths and this year he has run two fourths, so everything is looking good for him too.
“I couldn’t get any of the three any fitter and they are all going to be chances.”
Punters rate Royal Descent ($5) as Waller’s best chance in the Group 1 event from Sacred Falls ($5.50), while Hawkspur is available at 2014 George Main Stakes odds of $7.50.
