Chris Waller has three group 1 wins this season and will saddle a trio of group 1 favourites this weekend, including stallions in the making Press Statement and Kermadec at Caulfield, as he continues his dominant season.
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Kermadec is favourite for the Cox Plate, in front of stablemate and Epsom winner Winx, and steps out to 2000 metres for the first time in the Caulfield Stakes.
Waller has no concerns about him running the trip after proving himself winning the Doncaster and George Main Stakes. "He relaxes and really looks like a 2000m horse. He has done it at the Randwick mile twice in group 1s, which is like 2000m," Waller said. "I think his ability to relax and switch on when he has to will make him very hard to beat."
The Caulfield Stakes will match the weight-for-age form from Sydney against that of Melbourne and will attract its usual elite field. Blake Shinn will take over on Godolphin's Contributer in the Caulfield Stakes after James McDonald's five winners at Randwick on Saturday was soured by a suspension.
"The only thing that went wrong all day was my jockey getting suspended. We were lucky to get Blake for Contributer," Godolphin trainer John O'Shea said. "Glen Boss will ride Shards in the Caulfield Guineas and I have had plenty of luck with him in the past. I think we have won 10 or 11 group 1s together. I think he will suit our horse and we were not that far away from the favourite [Press Statement] in a couple of meetings."
Vinery Stud-owned Press Statement will look to further press his value as a stallion in the Caulfield Guineas after his commanding Stan Fox Stakes win at Rosehill. A win could see him join stablemates Kermadec and Winx as a Cox Plate contender.
"He has done everything you would want of a horse," Waller said. "With horses you hope they can win their first start, he did that. Then if they are good enough you want to win a group race – he's done that.
"Then a group 1, which he has also done. This would just increase his value again and you would think he is [a] very good chance the way he won last time."
Waller will have three runners in the Toorak Handicap in Strawberry Boy, Amicus and Flamingo Star but will not have a runner in the Thousand Guineas, the fourth group 1 on the Caulfield card.
He will saddle Vanbrugh as favourite for the Spring Champion Stakes, with Spring Stakes winner Devil Hawk as a back-up.
