![James McDonald has chosen Striking Alibi from Chris Waller’s four runners in Saturday’s Tea Rose Stakes at Randwick. [Bradley Photos]](https://betsy.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2357569.jpg)
It’s not unusual for Chris Waller to saddle up multiple runners in a feature race, but his quartet of Tea Rose Stakes fillies do add an intriguing dimension to the third leg of the four-race Princess Series.
Former Perth three-year-old Striking Alibi is the clear market pick of the four following an eye-catching third at her Sydney debut in the Furious Stakes (1200m) last month.
It was that effort that convinced leading jockey James McDonald to choose her over barn mate Sing Your Song as his Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) mount on Saturday.
“That’s the reason James opted to ride her because he’s got a very good opinion of (stablemate) Sing Your Song,” Waller’s right-hand man in Sydney, Charlie Duckworth said.
“He was given the option as a race-by-race proposition to ride whichever one he wanted in the race, and he chose to go with Striking Alibi, so that’s a pretty good push.”
Waller’s remaining three runners – Sing Your Song, Kototo and Sequinned – have been given their recent grounding in midweek company, and Duckworth says all are promising.
Sing Your Song is a full sister to stakes winner Matias and broke her maiden over 1400m at Warwick Farm last start.
Her main target is the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) two weeks from Saturday, but Duckworth expects her to make her presence felt at Randwick.
“She hasn’t missed a beat. She galloped really well on Tuesday morning, and 1400 on a big track will be right up her alley,” he said.
“And beyond that, a mile in the Flight, she’ll be ready to peak. She is learning with each and every gallop, each and every race. She has just taken a bit of time to mentally put it all together.”
Kototo is also beautifully bred being a Wootton Bassett half-sister to last Saturday’s Sheraco Stakes winner Savvy Hallie, while the “pretty speedy” Sequinned is a half-sibling to stallion Bivouac.
Duckworth expects Kototo, who was stakes placed in Brisbane over the winter, to be suited by Saturday’s journey after finishing a close fourth to Sequinned on resumption over a shorter trip.
“She’s one we’ve always held in really high regard. She is thrown in the deep end on Saturday, but she won’t disgrace herself,” Duckworth said.
