Waller targets final Group 1 of the spring carnival

Champion trainer Chris Waller, despite the demands of Melbourne Cup Week, is focused on concluding the spring racing season with a strong presence at Sandown.

The upcoming Sandown meeting features the final Group 1 event of the Melbourne spring, the $1 million CF Orr Stakes. This prestigious race is supported by the Group 2 Zipping Classic ($750,000), the Sandown Guineas, and the $1 million Thoroughbred Club Stakes.

Waller is set to saddle runners in each of these major races, including Beiwacht and Angel Capital in the Orr Stakes. He acknowledges the effort required from his team and horses to perform at this level so late in the season but values the opportunities presented.

"I'm not a huge fan from a training perspective, because you want to give them a break before the autumn," Waller commented on the timing of the CF Orr Stakes. "But I see it's also a wagering industry, which is what funds prizemoney, and how important it is for the public to see these horses racing again. It's pretty clever and I guess that's the beauty of competition. You see what New South Wales are doing and that's exactly what Victoria is following with, these better races. It's exciting to have these good horses racing at the end of the spring."

Angel Capital, an entry in the Orr Stakes, commenced its four-race spring campaign with a third-place finish in the Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) on August 8. The colt then contested the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) on August 29, where Beiwacht emerged victorious.

Beiwacht boasts an impressive record of three Group 1 triumphs over 1400 metres. Angel Capital achieved its maiden Group 1 victory over the same distance in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes later in the spring. Waller noted that their proven ability at this distance influenced his decision to keep them in work.

"They're both 1400-metre specialists and both entires and it's an important race for both of them," Waller remarked. "When you think of what are they going to be running in in the autumn, you'd probably have to look at the Newmarket, Futurity, those types of races, the George Ryder and maybe the Canterbury Stakes. They're the four races, so when it's their speciality distance, you give it serious consideration to these races."

Should either Beiwacht, ridden by James McDonald, or Angel Capital, guided by Ben Melham, win the CF Orr Stakes, it would represent Chris Waller's 28th Group 1 win for the year, equalling Aidan O'Brien's world record for Group 1 victories in a calendar year.

Betting markets for the CF Orr Stakes are now open at leading Australian betting sites.