Waller keeps the faith in Canterbury Stakes trio

SYDNEY – Leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller holds the key to the A$750,000 (S$674,000) Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1,300m) at Royal Randwick on March 7 with three runners, including two of the top fancies.

While Joliestar, who will be ridden by James McDonald, and Lady Shenandoah with Nash Rawiller up, are expected to top the market, Waller believes his promising three-year-old colt Beiwacht will be better suited to the distance after two failed attempts down the famous Flemington straight.

To be reunited with regular partner Adam Hyeronimus, Beiwacht, a Group 1 winner over 1,400m at Rosehill in 2025, finished his last season in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1,200m) with a four-length fourth.

He resumed his latest campaign in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1,000m) when he finished last after leading.

“It just didn’t work out down the (Flemington) straight,” said Waller.

“He’s got a very high cruising speed, but probably not high enough to be racing against 1,000-metre horses.

“I think it’s more a 1,200m to 1,500m cruising speed, where he can sustain it. We’ve got to get him back into that type of racing and we thought the Canterbury Stakes was the best option.

“His win in the (Group 1) Golden Rose (1,400m) in a similar type of race, his rating was through the roof – like, world-standard – so we’ve just got to try and simulate that and get back to that level.”

Joliestar scored an easy first-up win in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1,200m) on Feb 14, while Lady Shenandoah finished third to her stablemate.

“They both ran well first-up, Joliestar was awesome and she’s come through it well,” he said. “The 1,300m will suit her and Lady Shenandoah was brilliant first-up as well.”

John O’Shea and training partner Tom Charlton will also have three runners in the race – Linebacker, Yorkshire and the highly rated 3YO colt Napoleonic.

“We’re not scared of taking on the older horses, and I won this race before with three-year-olds,” said O’Shea.

“Holler won it when I was at Godolphin, and this (Napoleonic) is a better horse than Holler.

“He brings Tempted form from his first-up run, and she beat all the older Australian horses in The Everest (second to Ka Ying Rising).

“I think the three-year-olds have shown they are very good already, and he is a pretty good three-year-old.”

O’Shea has booked Zac Lloyd on Napoleonic, which means the gun hoop cannot ride his regular mount Linebacker, opening the door to Dylan Gibbons.

The son of jockey Andrew Gibbons has just returned from a shoulder surgery, and has relished the new opportunities at the O’Shea and Charlton yard.

“Me and Zac are there every Tuesday together sending most of them around,” said Gibbons.

“They took me under their wing, which I’m very grateful for, and you’ve seen the winners we’ve had lately.

“Now, having a couple of his good horses in one race, Zac can’t ride them all, so I’ve been fortunate to borrow Linebacker off him on Saturday, and he will obviously be a great hope.”

The Ciaron Maher-trained Gringotts is also among the fancies.

The Canterbury Stakes is carded as Race 15 on the Australia Singapore Pools card on March 7 and will be run at 2.15pm (Singapore time). HKJC