Trainer Chris Waller is poised for a huge Epsom Handicap Day at Randwick this Saturday, particularly in the Group 1 $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m), where he saddles up the two market leaders.
2025 The Metropolitan favourite Birdman is out to hand Chris Waller his seventh win in the race. Photo: Bradley Photos.
The staying feature, which serves as a key lead-up to the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, has drawn a capacity line-up, and six-time winner Waller will be represented by a strong contingent of five confirmed starters, plus the second emergency.
Waller’s Frontrunners and Key Quotes
Waller, who won The Metrop last spring with Land Legend (2024), looks set to go back-to-back with Birdman and Soul Of Spain heading The Metropolitan betting markets at $5 and $5.50 respectively through Ladbrokes.
Birdman, a Free Eagle five-year-old, is the narrow favourite after a sharp lead-up victory in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m).
Dropping from 55kg to a favourable 51.5kg for the 2400m journey, the import has winning form up to 2615m overseas.
Jockey Kerrin McEvoy gave the horse a tick of approval after his latest effort, saying, “He definitely floated when he got (to the front), so he just thought his job was done. So, you know, I think he can go further in trip and ideally I think a little bit more juice in the ground probably suits him better as well. If he can stay a bit further, then The Metropolitan is going to be right up his alley.”
Birdman, who starts from gate 17, is favoured to complete the Kingston Town Stakes – The Metropolitan double, last achieved by Just Fine (2023).
His stablemate, Soul Of Spain, enters the race in flying form, having won his past four starts, including the Group 3 Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m) at his latest outing.
He aims to complete the Newcastle Gold Cup – The Metropolitan double, last achieved by Glencadam Gold (2012).
Soul Of Spain comes back to just 50.5kg with Zac Lloyd retaining the ride from barrier 11.
Waller’s other runners include Etna Rosso ($11), Travolta ($15), More Felons ($67), and second emergency Strathtay ($101).
Outside Challengers
The main challenger outside the Waller stable is the two-time Melbourne Cup performer Vauban ($7) for the Waterhouse/Bott stable.
Heading toward a third shot in the $10 million ‘race that stops a nation,’ the eight-year-old carries the 58.5kg topweight on Saturday.
The import, who was previously with Willie Mullins in Ireland, is third-up and expected to improve sharply as he gets up in trip following a sixth in the Kingston Town Stakes.
Other notable hopes include Bjorn Baker‘s Sydney Cup champion Arapaho ($11), the Kris Lees-trained Changingoftheguard ($11), and his progressive stablemate Adelaide River, who was runner-up to Birdman in the Kingston Town.
The 2025 The Metropolitan is scheduled as Randwick Race 9 at 4:45pm (AEST) as the penultimate event on the 10-race Saturday card in Sydney.
2025 The Metropolitan Field & Barrier Draw
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 120x130x36 | VAUBAN (FR) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 7 | 58.5kg | 113 | ||
| 2 | x55241x364 | ARAPAHO (FR) | Bjorn Baker | Ms Rachel King | 13 | 58kg | 113 | ||
| 3 | 8x50x12x09 | MORE FELONS (IRE) | Chris Waller | Tommy Berry | 20 | 55kg | 105 | ||
| 4 | 33x742x821 | CHANGINGOFTHEGUARD (IRE) | Kris Lees | Ethan Brown | 8 | 54.5kg | 106 | ||
| 5 | 90x404x882 | ADELAIDE RIVER (IRE) | Kris Lees | Tyler Schiller | 18 | 53.5kg | 106 | ||
| 6 | x782959x00 | ATHABASCAN (FR) | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | Dylan Gibbons | 3 | 52kg | 100 | ||
| 7 | x42529x251 | BIRDMAN (IRE) | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 17 | 51.5kg | 105 | ||
| 8 | 1311598×18 | SON OF SUN (NZ) | Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley | 16 | 51kg | 99 | |||
| 9 | 13x731x111 | SOUL OF SPAIN (IRE) | Chris Waller | Zac Lloyd | 11 | 50.5kg | 0.5kg | 98 | |
| 10 | 0698222×03 | ETNA ROSSO (IRE) | Chris Waller | Jay Ford | 2 | 50kg | 98 | ||
| 11 | 6×13343411 | PIGGYBACK | Ciaron Maher | Andrew Adkins | 14 | 50kg | 96 | ||
| 12 | 00×5013323 | GLORY DAZE (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Ms Anna Roper (a) | 4 | 50kg | 95 | ||
| 13 | 3232×00112 | ROYAL SUPREMACY (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Robbie Dolan | 9 | 50kg | 95 | ||
| 14 | 8220×00564 | WYCLIF (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Ms Louise Day | 6 | 50kg | 95 | ||
| 15 | x70x4541x6 | DON DIEGO DE VEGA (FR) | Annabel & Rob Archibald | Ms Alysha Collett | 12 | 50kg | 93 | ||
| 16 | 1x31417x64 | FLYING BANDIT | Kerry Parker | Brock Ryan | 5 | 50kg | 93 | ||
| 17 | 76×1712123 | TRAVOLTA (GB) | Chris Waller | Ben Thompson | 1 | 50kg | 92 | ||
| 18 | x6x2311612 | JUJA KIBO (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | 15 | 50kg | 90 | |||
| 19e | 21642×7054 | SUN ’N’ SAND | Barbara Joseph, Paul & Matt Jones | Ms Winona Costin | 19 | 50kg | 87 | ||
| 20e | 360405×446 | STRATHTAY (NZ) | Chris Waller | Reece Jones | 10 | 50kg | 85 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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