It might be mid-winter in Sydney but this is the time of year when Waller starts to get busy with his spring carnival contenders.
“I like to be well ahead, it suits me to get them up early rather than over-training them later,” Waller explained.
The Hall of Fame trainer’s super mares will be joined by the likes of Group 1-winning stablemates Lady Shenandoah, Autumn Boy and Ohope Wins at Friday’s trial session.
Waller is a stickler for routine and it is expected Autumn Glow and Aeliana will have two barrier trials and most likely an exhibition gallop before resuming racing later in August.
“They are both great,” Waller said of Autumn Glow and Aeliana.
“They both had a gallop on Saturday morning and James (McDonald) has been coming in to ride them.”
Autumn Glow, the favourite to claim Horse of the Year, is being readied to resume in the Group 1 $1 million Winx Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on August 22.
But her spring program has not been determined after the Winx Stakes with Waller using that race to decide whether the mare is aimed at the Group 1 $20 million The TAB Everest (1200m) or the Group 1 $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1600m), both run at Royal Randwick on October 17.
Waller also hasn’t locked in Aeliana’s preparation for her main spring carnival target, the Group 1 $6 million Cox Plate (2000m) at Flemington on October 31, but the trainer hinted the mare might race exclusively in Melbourne this spring.
“Aeliana could easily go to the Memsie Stakes (Group 1 $750,000, Caulfield, 1400m, August 29) because I would like to keep them (mares) apart if possible,” he said.
Lady Shenandoah, who was successful in three Group 1 races as a three-year-old, went winless this season although she was twice Group 1 placed and also ran second in the Russell Balding Stakes.
But Waller said that Lady Shenandoah has made considerable physical improvement during her winter spell.
“If I was to nominate a horse that has really matured, it is her,” Waller said of Lady Shenandoah.
“You would have seen her sweat up a bit first-up, get on her toes, but she has matured now.”
“I think she is probably a 1400m horse, I’m not saying she is not an Epsom horse, but she would get a lot of weight in an Epsom.”
Waller also made particular mention of Barnavara, a Group 1 winner in France, who was well beaten as an odds-on favourite at her only Australian start behind stablemate Wootton Verni in the Neville Sellwood Stakes earlier this year.
“Barnavara has come back well, she has strengthened a lot,” Waller said.
“James rode her (Saturday) morning and said she feels 30kg heavier than she did in the autumn.”
ATC Australian Oaks heroine Ohope Wins will trial Friday with Waller suggesting a race like the Group 1 $750,000 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 3 could be a suitable target.
Waller will also trial Wootton Verni and comeback stayer Soulcombe at Randwick later this week.
Soulcombe ran second to Without A Fight in the 2023 Melbourne Cup but suffered a tendon injury and hasn’t raced for nearly three years now.
Another of Waller’s Group 1-winning mares, Lazzura, and his crack colts Campione D’Italia and Fireball are not quite ready to trial this week.
“Lazzura I’ve held back a bit as she will go down the sprinting path,” he said.
“We will keep the speed in her and gradually get her out to 1400m.”
“I’m in no rush with Campione D’Italia and Fireball. They will start a bit later and probably go into the Golden Rose (Group 1, $1 million, Rosehill Gardens, 1400m, September 26) second-up so I don’t want them to be running on heavy tracks.”
“They could get through to a Caulfield Guineas (Group 1, $3 million, Caulfield, 1600m, October 17) or the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Group 1, $2 million, Flemington, 1200m, October 31).”
