Beiwacht's Silver Eagle run set to prime him for Golden Eagle tilt

Chris Waller is favouring a strategy of race fitness over a spell as he meticulously plans Beiwacht's pathway to a major Group 1 double.

The accomplished Group 1 winner has returned to Sydney following a run where he finished outside the top three in the Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on September 27. He is now slated to participate in Saturday's Silver Eagle (1300m) at Randwick.

Although Waller and the Godolphin ownership group considered the option of sending him straight to the Golden Eagle (1500m) on October 31, the consensus was that Beiwacht would benefit more from an additional race.

"The Golden Eagle is his target race, and we thought, do we go into that race fresh, or do we give him a run in between?" Waller explained. "We went with this race because he's going to need to be rock-hard fit for the 1500 in two weeks' time."

A standout winner of last year's Golden Rose (1400m), Beiwacht is aiming to make history this spring as the first horse to capture the three-year-old classic and then go on to win the Golden Eagle (1500m) the following season.

His immediate focus, however, is on the Randwick contest this Saturday. He is expected to be a formidable competitor, currently positioned as the $3.20 second favourite behind the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained Skyhook ($2.70), who is aiming for his fourth consecutive victory.

The Silver Eagle, however, presents a challenging field beyond just those two, with Attica, Apocalyptic, and the promising trio of Decorum, Night Agent, and Plaintiff also set to contest the race.

"Skyhook is a damn good horse. It won't be an easy run, and there are a few others in it too," Waller stated. "It just shows how these pop-up races can really develop into something. The Silver Eagle worth $1 million is massive and obviously it targets (horses going) into the Golden Eagle. Like the Five Diamonds Prelude next week is worth $1 million and that goes into a $2 million race for five-year-olds. It really is a big thing for the participants, and if we get behind it and build these fields as we are, it will just continue to grow."

In the markets for the Golden Eagle, Beiwacht and Skyhook are both highly rated at $6 and $8 respectively, while Sheza Alibi is the comparatively shorter $1.80 favourite.

Compare the latest racing odds for the Silver Eagle at leading Australian betting sites.