Racing: Waller to launch serious attack on Queensland

My Kingdom of Fife. Photo / Getty Images

Sydney trainer Chris Waller is planning a big assault on next year's Brisbane winter carnival but still has unfinished business this time around.

Waller, who will saddle up two runners in the Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm next Saturday, is keen to build on his past and present winter carnival success.

Last year, Waller won the Doomben Cup and Hollindale Stakes with Metal Bender, the T J Smith and Sires' Produce Stakes with Pressday, while Triple Honour also claimed the Eagle Farm Cup.

English import My Kingdom Of Fife continued Waller's form winning this year's Hollindale Stakes before finishing second to Scenic Shot in the Doomben Cup on May 21.

"The Queensland winter makes a couple of good horses each year," Waller said yesterday.

"I'll be increasing the size for Queensland and will shift about 20 horses up next year."

Waller will saddle up Savannah's Choice, a Tim Clark mount, and Tropicana Girl, who will be ridden by Hugh Bowman, in the Queensland Oaks.

Savannah's Choice attempted to lead all the way in the The Roses (2020m) last start but was no match for Waikato filly Scarlett Lady, who is the ruling Oaks favourite at $3.50.

Tropicana Girl, a winner over 1900m at Canterbury last Wednesday, will leave for Brisbane after working at Rosehill on Tuesday.

"She's won two races but she only beat average horses at Canterbury but it was a dominant win," Waller said.

Waller was surprised with Savannah's Choice's performance in the The Roses and has declared Scarlett Lady "beatable" in the Queensland Oaks.

Waller was equally surprised with Clark's decision to ride Savannah's Choice in the Queensland Oaks.

"I gave Tim the choice of the two rides for the Oaks and it did surprise me a little when he stuck with Savannah's Choice," Waller said.

"I thought Scarlett Lady was a moral to win The Roses and it surprised me when Savannah's Success ran second to her.

"If Scarlett Lady is the benchmark for the Oaks then she's quite beatable."

Waller was reluctant to separate his pair and conceded he was unsure if they would run the 2400m.

"Your first thought is whether a 3-year-old filly will run the trip but you never know until you try them," he said.

"They are both very well bred fillies and are both by Redoute's Choice.

"If Savannah's Choice reproduces the same sort of run as she did in The Roses then she'll have strong claims."

Kerrin McEvoy will travel north today to ride the Darley team trackwork ahead of his first appearance of the Brisbane winter carnival.

The jockey was sidelined for over a month with broken ribs suffered in a Sydney Cup fall but returned with a winner at Randwick on Saturday ahead of Oaks Day at Eagle Farm.

Trainer Peter Snowden has Divorces set for next Saturday's Oaks and also good-quality colts Benfica and Free Wheeling in the Sires' Produce Stakes.

McEvoy watched from the jockeys' room at Randwick on Saturday as Corey Brown guided Beaded to a narrow win in the Doomben 10,000.

He is now itching to get back among the action.

"There's a heap of horses up there going to work on Tuesday morning, including the ones for next Saturday, so I'll go up there on Monday night and work them on Tuesday," McEvoy said yesterday.

"I'm going to work Divorces on Tuesday as well as the 2-year-old colts, Benfica and Free Wheeling."

Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation has had a remarkable season in feature juvenile races in Australia.

Trainer Peter Snowden and McEvoy have combined to win all four group one 2-year-old races run so far this year, with Sepoy victorious in the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper double and Helmet notching a double in the Sires' Produce Stakes and Champagne Stakes.

- AAP