Chris Waller dominates the Flight Stakes 2016 nominations for the three-year-old fillies’ feature at Randwick Racecourse on Saturday with Foxplay one of five entries in the Group 1 for the stable.
Foxplay is one of five Chris Waller-trained 2016 Flight Stakes nominations for Royal Randwick on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.
Waller is after his first success in the $500,000 Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) on Epsom Handicap Day and plays a big hand numbers-wise.
The set weights mile showdown attracted a dozen entries, Racing NSW extending nominations until 11:00am (AEST) on Tuesday, with five hailing from the Waller stable.
Foxplay comes off the gun lead-up Sydney Spring Racing Carnival form leading-up to the race, undefeated at the track after back-to-back Randwick wins this time in.
First-up the grey daughter of Foxwedge won the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) in the wet before her last start victory in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) on September 17.
She now chases the Tea Rose Stakes – Flight Stakes double achieved in recent years by: More Joyous (2009), Streama (2011), Guelph (2013) and First Seal (2014).
In total the Tea Rose Stakes has produced 27 of the past 33 Flight Stakes winners.
The other best out of the Tea Rose Stakes this season nominated for the Group 1 this weekend are the James Cummings-trained runner-up Skylight Glow and third-placegetter Quick Feet for Peter & Paul Snowden.
The other headlined nominee for Waller is Omei Sword who won the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) first-up before a brave last start second to Astern in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) from September 10.
Last year’s Flight Stakes winner Speak Fondly (2015) won on the back of a Golden Rose second for Gai Waterhouse.
Waterhouse is the race’s most successful training with a total of eight Flight Stakes winners.
She is back in 2016 with Global Glamour who she trains in partnership with Adrian Bott, the lightly-raced daughter of Star Witness third in the Furious Stakes and six in the Tea Rose this time in.
Waller’s other entries meanwhile are Awoke, Tea Rose Stakes fourth-placegetter Sezanne and Invincibella.
Perennial placegetter Invincibella comes off a different lead-up having run a close second to Zenalicious only last Saturday at Rosehill when taking on the boys in the Listed Reginald Allen Quality (1400m).
The other headline Flight Stakes hopeful this year is the David Vandyke-trained Group 1 winner Yankee Rose.
After a Golden Slipper second in the autumn she won the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), her only run since being the sixth in the Golden Rose.
The All American filly has won a subsequent 1200m trial at Warwick Farm on September 23 and looks set to enjoy her first look at a mile.
See below for the current Flight Stakes 2016 nominations, the final field and barriers set for release on Wednesday followed by markets at Ladbrokes.com.au.
2016 Flight Stakes Nominations
Royal Randwick – 01/10/2016
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11×07 | AWOKE (NZ) | F | 3 | Chris Waller | 68 |
| 2 | 0x7312 | BRIDLE LANE | F | 3 | John P Thompson | 62 |
| 3 | 54x212x11 | FOXPLAY | F | 3 | Chris Waller | 88 |
| 4 | 1×36 | GLOBAL GLAMOUR | F | 3 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 72 |
| 5 | 5x222x12 | INVINCIBELLA | F | 3 | Chris Waller | 71 |
| 6 | 438×5435 | MOQUEEN | F | 3 | Anthony Cummings | – |
| 7 | 129×12 | OMEI SWORD | F | 3 | Chris Waller | 92 |
| 8 | 60×5231 | OUR BELISA | F | 3 | John P Thompson | 63 |
| 9 | 1x729x5363 | QUICK FEET | F | 3 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 79 |
| 10 | 224×114 | SEZANNE | F | 3 | Chris Waller | 73 |
| 11 | 511×32 | SKYLIGHT GLOW | F | 3 | James Cummings | 80 |
| 12 | 11x21x6 | YANKEE ROSE | F | 3 | David Vandyke | 101 |
