Australian Racing: Waller charge to take Group 1 honours

There is plenty of racing action for punters to enjoy on Saturday, including from Melbourne, where the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes is the feature race at Flemington.

There's also Group action in Sydney, with three Group 2 races and a Group 3 contest scheduled at Randwick.

Race 8 Flemington

Switzerland @ 2.80

Race 8 Randwick

Fangirl @ 4.00

Race 5 Randwick

Iowna Merc @ 7.00

Switzerland to feast in Black Caviar

The previously mentioned Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes over 1000m comes up as the eighth race of the day at Flemington.

A good 4 track is expected for the race, with Growing Empire expected to prove popular with punters, having shown that he can compete at this level against older rivals earlier this season.

The Manikato Stakes runner-up went on to place in two more Group 1 1200m races, including when third in The TAB Everest held on a soft 5 track at Randwick in October.

A third-place finish back against his own age group in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes here followed with the colt returning from a spell here.

He is set to renew rivalry with SWITZERLAND here, with Chris Waller’s colt having delivered an impressive near three length victory in the previously mentioned Coolmore Stud Stakes.

That victory marked the pick’s second success of the season, having previously won by two lengths when racing at Group 2 level in the Roman Consul Stakes over 1200m at Rosehill in October.

The 2.80 son of Snitzel had shown good form at two including when winning in Group 2 company at Randwick in March last year prior to disappointing when eighth in the Golden Slipper.

James McDonald’s mount shouldn’t have too many issues dropping back to 1000m and, having had two barrier trials at Warwick Farm last month, he can resume with a win.

Fangirl to return with a win

The eighth race at Randwick is the 1400m Group 2 Apollo Stakes, which sees the return of crack filly Via Sistina.

Waller’s filly mare is one of three runners for the stable, with FANGIRL and Arapaho also engaged and she is expected to jump as favourite having won four of her five starts last prep.

Those four wins included a wide margin success in the 2040m Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in October.

The daughter of Fastnet Rock enjoyed an eventful build up to that contest, having got loose in track work in the days before the big race.

She showed no ill effects from that experience and went on to end 2024 with a win in the TAB Champions Stakes, a Group event over 1000m at Flemington.

While the filly handles the shorter distance she races over here, stablemate Fangirl is the selection on this occasion.

The six-year-old finished strongly to be beaten half-a-length by Via Sistina when the pair clashed over 1400m in the Winx Stakes here in August.

The 4.00 selection went on to finish half-a-length clear of her rivals in a 1600m weight for age contest at this venue.

The mare failed to shine on a wet track here subsequently prior to ending her last prep with a good third in the Group 1 VRC Champions Mile over 1600m at Flemington.

Jason Collett’s mount showed improvement in her second barrier trial at Warwick Farm last month and she is taken to resume with a win.

Merc to motor in Expressway

Earlier on the Randwick card the sprinters are in action in the 1200m Group 2 Expressway Stakes.

Bjorn Baker has his string in fine form at present and his IOWNA MERC has been allocated a good barrier ahead of his attempt to register a first success at this level.

The five-year-old won in Listed company when taking out the 1200m Canterbury Sprint held on a good 4 track at Canterbury at the start of last month.

While unable to win on two subsequent starts, the 7.00 gelding performed well when losing out by a narrow margin when runner-up in the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes over this distance last time.

Josh Parr is set to ride the gelding for the first time, with the pair looking capable of recording a win racing on a soft 5 track.