Chris Waller yet to finalise Memsie Stakes runners

Winx Stakes runner-up Waller’s most likely Memsie starter.

Chris Waller is yet to finalise who will represent the stable in next Saturday’s $750,000 Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield, but he knows who is the most likely starter.

Princess Grace is front of the queue to be given the chance to go one better than her first-up narrow second to stablemate Fangirl in the Group 1 Winx Stakes.

The American mare is one of several Waller horses to be nominated for the 1400-metre event with only a wide barrier likely to prevent her running.

“Zougotcha will be nominated, plus Osipenko and a few others, but we will probably only run one,” Waller said.

“Princess Grace, I’d say she is definite. If there was to be two there it will be one of the others, but I wouldn’t send her down if she drew (barrier) 18.”

Princess Grace ran up to a good first trial this campaign when beaten short-neck by Fangirl in the 1400m Winx Stakes.

That was just the third start in Australia for the seven-year-old, who finished third in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m) before winning the Group 3 Hawksbury Crown (1300m) earlier this year.

The daughter of Karakontie has eight wins and eight placings from 17 starts including two Group 2 wins and three Group 1 placings in her native United States.

Waller was encouraged seeing her run well at her first try at the highest grade in Australia.

“She was very good first-up, she had a nice draw and everything fell into place, but she showed she was up to that level,” he said.

Even if Zougotcha does not line up in the Memsie, stepping up in trip is likely with Waller abandoning plans to chase a spot in The Everest with the Group 1 Flight Stakes winner, who was a well-beaten sixth in the Group 3 Toy Show Quality (1100m) first-up.

“I’m glad we tried it, she didn’t come to any harm and she can bounce back, but we had the wrong distance,” Waller said.

“I don’t think she was bad through the line, but she didn’t have the acceleration that a sprinter needs.”