‘That’s our plan’: Waller all but locks in Autumn Boy

Autumn Boy has started the week in Melbourne, but Chris Waller expects the multiple Group 1 winner to be in Sydney on Saturday, when the Epsom Handicap will be run at Randwick.

The champion trainer confirmed at the weekend that the historic mile, a Group 1 event worth $1.5 million, was the plan for the Caulfield Guineas and Rosehill Guineas winner.

Autumn Boy’s first two runs this campaign – a Memsie Stakes eighth and Makybe Diva Stakes second – have been in Melbourne, which is where he will have his final gallop before heading north after Tuesday morning’s barrier draw.

He would need to fare particularly poorly there for Waller to consider altering his plan with the son of The Autumn Sun with champion jockey James McDonald booked to ride.

“Maybe (if he drew) barrier 20, but when we’re committed to James I’d say he’d come up,” Waller said when asked what would prevent him from running in the Epsom.

“He’s not back from Melbourne, he’s going to gallop there Tuesday and he’s going to come back Wednesday night.

“I guess there is a five per cent chance I could run him in the Turnbull, but that’s highly unlikely.

“He’ll run in the Epsom, that’s our plan and James (McDonald) is booked to ride him so that’s showing our hand pretty firmly.”

Autumn Boy was entered for Saturday’s Turnbull Stakes at Flemington as a precaution, but Aeliana, Asterix, Buckaroo, Birdman and O’Hope Wins are more likely to be Waller’s representatives in that $1 million Group 1.

Autumn Boy will this weekend be out to go one better than he did in Randwick’s other big Group 1 mile handicap, the Doncaster Mile, in which he was runner-up to Sheza Alibi in April this year.

He was also runner-up to the Victorian mare in the Randwick Guineas and at his most recent start, in the 1600m Makybe Diva Stakes on September 12.

Autumn Boy has 55.5kg in the Epsom Handicap, for which he is $3.50 favourite over unbeaten Kiwi star Well Written ($4.50), Attica ($6) and Ceolwulf ($8).