Waller to have at least on Atkins runner

Sunday 2 June 2013, 4:13pm

Vilanova is a definite J J Atkins starter for the Chris Waller stable but a decision has yet to be made whether stablemate Zoustar runs in the Group One race.

Zoustar beat Vilanova in the Group Two Sires' Produce Stakes but Waller said he was not committed to running him at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

"There's a lot to lose and a lot to gain," Waller said.

"We'll see what the weather does and weigh up everything else.

"I think he can be a serious horse in the spring.

"Vilanova got beaten by him last time but I think he will appreciate the step up to 1600 metres."

Vilanova, who raced as Catalonia in New Zealand, won the Listed Wentwood Grange Stakes last December under Jason Bridgman and was an unlucky fifth in the Karaka Million.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained Romantic Touch is the $2.50 favourite for the final juvenile Group One race of the season with Zoustar at $4.20 and Vilanova a $6 chance.

Vilanova is raced by Singapore businessman Tang Weng Fei and Neville Morgan.

Tang Weng Fei also owns Tougher Than Ever who had a preparation under Waller in Sydney and was recently transferred to Mark Walker in Singapore.

Waller will also have runners in the other two Group One races at Eagle Farm on Saturday with Hawkspur to contest the Queensland Derby and Arinosa the Stradbroke Handicap.

Hawkspur, the second favourite for the Derby behind New Zealander Survived, will be aiming for his third consecutive Brisbane win after taking out the Rough Habit Plate and the Grand Prix.

He will again be ridden by Jim Cassidy.

Although he is by Purrealist, a winner up to 1400m, out of a mare by Golden Slipper winner Catbird, Waller has no concerns about Hawkspur's ability to run out a strong 2400 metres.

– AAP

Latest News

Prime Thoroughbreds - We have a Host of Leaders in our Team

Tuesday, 29 June 2021

Prime Thor­ough­bred’s cur­rent rac­ing team is putt­ing to­gether quite a re­cord. We have 22 hors­es that have raced in our team at pre­sent. Six­teen of th­ese are win­n­ers in­clud­ing the Stakes win­n­ing trio Ru­bisa­ki, Fituese and Xtreme­time with Miss Di­vine Em and Miss In Charge run­n­ing 4th in Stakes races. This sees a stakes win­n­er to win­n­er ra­tio of 18.75% with a stake’s per­formed to win­n­er ra­tio of 31.25%. Th­ese are ex­cep­tio­n­al fig­ures.   More »

Freedmans land maiden Group One win

Saturday, 27 February 2021

Un­der-rat­ed fil­ly For­bid­den Love has emerged as an au­tumn car­ni­val smokey with a bril­liant per­for­mance to win the Sur­round Stakes at Rand­wick.  More »

Capriccio completes Damian Lane treble

Saturday, 27 February 2021

In a big day for coun­try-trained hors­es, War­r­nam­bool fil­ly Capric­cio has tak­en out the In­glis Dash for Daniel Bow­man.  More »

More news headlines »