Can Waller Deliver Frankel's First Aussie G1 Winner?

Clinton Payne - Friday March 9

Sydney's premier training operation will have four runners in Saturday's $1 million Group I Randwick Guineas (1600m) and the stable believes one of their outsiders will defy his$51 quote.

Classy colt D'argento heads up Chris Waller's assault on the race when teamed up with Tangled, Kaonic and Tangmere but it's the latter that Waller's racing manager Charlie Duckworth says could be the real surprise packet.

The blue-blood son of Frankel, cost $1.3 million as a yearling and looked impressive when overcoming trouble to win his maiden first-up at Randwick before being beaten at Canterbury last time out.

Duckworth says the Canterbury defeat could be the performance that unlocks the potential of Tangmere and could result in a huge upset on Saturday.

"Getting beaten at Canterbury the other day should be looked upon as a negative for a Randwick Guineas but I believe it did him the world of good," Duckworth said.

"He was knocked off balance around the turn, he had to pick himself up, balance up and go again and he's come out of that race so much more switched on.

"This is the big watch horse.

"He will be more suited as the trips get longer but his work the other day was outstanding, genuinely outstanding.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he causes an upset. He's genuinely flying."

The booking of Kerrin McEvoy also indicates the market has got it wrong with Tangmere at $51, after opening as high as $101 behind stablemate Kaonic, a $21 chance. Waller's main man,Hugh Bowman will ride D'argento, the $5 second favourite for the race.

"The question that hung over D'argento in the Hobartville was if he could step up to this class and he erased those pretty quickly," Duckworth said.

"He's a horse that on a whole will race in the second half of the field so barrier 14 isn't really a problem.

"The way Randwick has been playing of late, some would say you're better off drawn out than in and it is the Randwick mile, one of the fairest starts in Australian racing.

"He won his maiden on soft. It was a maiden but he didn't just let down on it, he flew so the edge off the track shouldn't be a problem either.

"The mile is obviously what he's looking for, his work has been good and we're looking forward to Saturday."

The only one of Waller's quartet of runners to have a gear change on Saturday is Kaonic, a horse that has been disappointing in two runs this preparation after being touted as a likely autumn start when chalking up two impressive wins late last year.

"The blinkers go on him," he said. "He's a colt that is so casual but his work has improved in the blinkers.

"He's rock hard fit now third-up and hopefully the blinkers will bring out the best in him because his best is pretty good."

Tangled rounds out theRosehillstable's runners and he's the $71 outsider of the group.

"Realistically this is a stepping stone to theRosehill Guineasover a distance he's Group I-placed," Duckworth said.

"We still expect to see him run a race, they just may be a bit too sharp for him on Saturday."

Advertisment
More Reading...
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday November 5
Here is the full list of 145 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Melbourne Cup Winner for Extreme Choice – Rare Slice of History
This year’s $8.5million Group I VRC Melbourne Cup (3200m) produced a genuinely amazing fairytale result for the connections of five year-old Extreme Choice gelding Knight’s Choice, but part of that fairytale is his sire Extreme Choice, who has carved out something seriously special as being only the second sire in history to produce the winner of a Golden Slipper and a Melbourne Cup.
Rosemont and Partners Stakes Quinella on Cup Day
Written Tycoon posted his second new stakes-winner on Melbourne Cup Day when promising three year-old gelding Catoggio took out the Listed VRC Amanda Elliot Stakes (1400m)  for Rosemont Stud and partners, who also race the second horse Bosustow.
Kiwi Bred Gringotts Wins $3million Big Dance
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts(NZ) (Per Incanto) delivered a big payday for his connections with victory in Tuesday’s A$3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick.
El Vencedor wins G3 Balmerino Stakes
El Vencedor is making a habit of picking up major victories at Ellerslie, adding the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) to his burgeoning record at Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup Day meeting.
Magic Nick Strikes Again – Fastnet Rock x Galileo
The Fastnet Rock x Galileo nick has been on fire in Melbourne this spring producing Cox Plate winner Via Sistina (IRE) and leading Melbourne Cup contender Buckaroo (GB) and it struck again overnight in the UK with a brand new stakes-winner in Military Academy, who captured the Listed Floodlit Stakes (1m4f) at Kempton.
Antrim Coast to Fly Flag for The Oaks Stud
The well-renowned colours of The Oaks Stud will feature across two feature Trans-Tasman meetings this week, kicking off with Antrim Coast lining up in the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington.
Melbourne Cup Pedigree Analysis - Do It Yourself
Breednet has produced a great page with click through to five generation pedigrees for all the Melbourne Cup runners, so for amateur pedigree buffs looking to have a Cup flutter based pedigree here’s your chance  to DIY it!
Sires With Winners - Monday November 4
Here is the full list of 21 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.