Chris Waller holds strong hand in 2025 Underwood Stakes field

Chris Waller’s Caulfield spring squad could be out in force this weekend with up to five runners targeting the Underwood Stakes.

Buckaroo, victorious in the race last year, headlines the stable’s potential team, with Anisette, Moira, River Of Stars and Land Legend all in the mix.

Waller described Buckaroo’s third-place finish in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes as the perfect return. “It was an awesome return. Maybe he is a much better horse in the spring as his autumn form the year before wasn’t much better,” Waller said. “The 1800 metres of the Underwood should suit him perfectly.”

Anisette, who ran sixth in the P B Lawrence Stakes, was withdrawn from the So You Think Stakes but tuned up with a strong jump-out at Flemington last week.

Moira has been consistent in both starts this prep, finishing fourth in the Lawrence before a runner-up finish at Moonee Valley. “Her run was probably slightly better than Anisette in the Lawrence and her run the other day was good,” Waller said. “We’re quietly confident she can take the next step.”

River Of Stars, viewed as a potential Melbourne Cup contender, is stepping up gradually, while Land Legend is being aimed at the Caulfield Cup with a possible stop in the Underwood on his way to the Turnbull.

“She may run there (on Saturday), but it’s a part of getting her to the Melbourne Cup,” Waller said of River Of Stars. “Land Legend is ticking along OK, and he might run in the Underwood on his way to the Turnbull and Caulfield Cup.”