Unstoppable Sydney trainer Chris Waller plays an incredibly strong hand numbers-wise in Saturday’s Chelmsford Stakes 2015 at Royal Randwick accepting for 11 from his stable in the weight-for-age feature.
Warwick Stakes winning mare Royal Descent is one of 11 Chris Waller-trained hopes in the 2015 Chelmsford Stakes field for Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.
Due to run as Randwick Race 6 at 3:45pm (AEST), this year’s $250,000 Group 2 Tattersalls Club Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) has attracted a full field of 16 starters plus an emergency in the John O’Shea-trained It’s Somewhat.
Of those, Waller trains 11 of the confirmed starters including the dual defending champion Hawkspur.
Drawn in barrier seven with Tommy Berry to ride, Purrealist six-year-old Hawkspur has won the past two editions of the Chelmsford Stakes, the former Queensland Derby champ looking to break a year long spell with a third straight win in the Epsom Handicap lead-up.
Last time out Hawkspur ran a first-up 11th of 13 runners in the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m), a race Waller won with his 2013 ATC Oaks champion Royal Descent.
While ultra-competitive over the past couple of seasons positing a host of Group 1 minor placings, Royal Descent hadn’t won a race since her Oaks success as a three-year-old until the Warwick Stakes.
The Redoute’s Choice mare won by one and a half lengths with Hugh Bowman aboard and backs-up in the Chelmsford on Saturday with Bowman retaining the mount in barrier eight.
Two of Waller’s other big name Chelmsford Stakes runners are the stayers that finished one-two respectively in the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) over the two miles back in April – import Grand Marshal and Who Shot Thebarman.
Grand Marshal has Jim Cassidy aboard first-up but has the outside barrier to overcome while former Kiwi galloper Who Shot Thebarman is also wide drawing the second outside alley for he and Christian Reith to overcome.
Waller’s Chelmsford Stakes contingent also features eight-year-old Beaten Up coming off a fast finishing fourth when beaten under two lengths in the Warwick Stakes, Moriarty, Junoob who is the only non-Group 1 winner in the mix for the stable, Opinion, I’m Imposing, last year’s Victoria Derby winner Preferment and Kermadec.
Winner of the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) here in the autumn, Teofilo stallion Kermadec ran fifth in the Warwick Stakes and is favourite in early markets at Ladbrokes.com.au for the $1 million Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) on October 3.
Glen Boss rides the four-year-old again this weekend after partnering him in the Doncaster Mile and Warwick Stakes, the duo drawn in gate 13.
The other most notable Chelmsford Stakes acceptors are the Gai Waterhouse-trained Doomben Cup winner Pornichet and Godolphin’s returning champ Hartnell drawn in barriers 11 and 10 respectively.
French import Pornichet raced for the first time since his Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) success in Brisbane in May running a good second to Royal Descent in the Warwick Stakes, Blake Shinn staying on for the rematch this weekend.
James McDonald has the mount on Authorized gelding Hartnell who won the Group 1 The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill in late March before a last start fourth to fellow Chelmsford hope Grand Marshall in the Sydney Cup.
See below for the full Chelmsford Stakes 2015 field, barriers, jockeys and weights.
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2015 Chelmsford Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw
Randwick Race 6 (3:45pm) – 05/09/2015
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Br. | Wgt. | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1167x2114x | HARTNELL (GB) | John O’Shea | James McDonald | 10 | 59kg | 115 |
| 2 | 1x951511x2 | PORNICHET (FR) | Gai Waterhouse | Blake Shinn | 11 | 59kg | 112 |
| 3 | 1103x5442x | WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) | Chris Waller | Christian Reith | 16 | 59kg | 109 |
| 4 | 2x800530x4 | BEATEN UP (GB) | Chris Waller | Glyn Schofield | 3 | 59kg | 108 |
| 5 | 31x80429x0 | MORIARTY (IRE) | Chris Waller | Jason Collett | 12 | 59kg | 108 |
| 6 | D70x0084x7 | JUNOOB (GB) | Chris Waller | Joshua Parr | 2 | 59kg | 106 |
| 7 | 11x889431x | GRAND MARSHAL (GB) | Chris Waller | Jim Cassidy | 17 | 59kg | 105 |
| 8 | 50160x82Px | OPINION (IRE) | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 14 | 59kg | 105 |
| 9 | 00033075×0 | HAWKSPUR | Chris Waller | Tommy Berry | 7 | 59kg | 104 |
| 10 | 121x03336x | I’M IMPOSING (GB) | Chris Waller | Tye Angland | 15 | 59kg | 104 |
| 11 | 27x0556x5x | PRECEDENCE (NZ) | James Cummings | Tim Clark | 1 | 59kg | 104 |
| 12 | 221112×0 | COMPLACENT | John O’Shea | Sam Clipperton | 6 | 59kg | 103 |
| 13 | 44x078160x | TREMEC (NZ) | John P Thompson | TBA | 5 | 59kg | 97 |
| 14 | 21x43431x5 | KERMADEC (NZ) | Chris Waller | Glen Boss | 13 | 58.5kg | 110 |
| 15 | 2421x0628x | PREFERMENT (NZ) | Chris Waller | Chad Lever | 9 | 58.5kg | 104 |
| 16 | 220x7433x1 | ROYAL DESCENT | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 8 | 57kg | 116 |
| 17e | 73350x19x8 | IT’S SOMEWHAT (USA) | John O’Shea | TBA | 4 | 59kg | 104 |
