US Group 1 winning four year old Bayrir is set to make his Australian debut for trainer Chris Waller in the Listed $100,000 Winter Challenge (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Waller hasn’t rushed the French import since his arrival at the beginning of the year from the Northern Hemisphere where he was trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre who prepared the 2010 Melbourne Cup winner Americain.
Bayrir will go into Saturday’s race with two Rosehill barrier trials under his belt, a fifth to Havana Rey on July 9 then a third to Less Is More on July 22, both over 1030m.
Waller said that he will map out a Spring Carnival program once Bayrir gets a taste of Australian racing and he can see where the Medicean stallion is fitness wise.
“We don’t have a clear cut program for him,” Waller told AAP.
“It is a matter of seeing where he fits in.”
Bayrir is owned by Graham and Linda Huddy who have also had great success with Waller with multiple Group 1 winning weight for age performer Shoot Out.
Under Waller’s care Shoot Out was able to win two Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes and a Group 1 George Main Stakes as well as running second to More Joyous in the 2012 Group 1 $2m BMW Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick.
The international galloper arrived in Australia after finishing sixth to Red Cadeaux in the Group 1 HK$15m Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m) at Sha Tin on December 9.
Bayrir also ran in the Group 1 €4m QATAR Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe (1 mile 4 furlongs) at Longchamp, France on October 7 but was a well beaten tenth on the heavy track behind Solemia.
Top French trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre wasn’t frightened to travel and ventured to the United States where Bayrir took out the Group 1 US$500,000 Secretariat Stakes (1 mile 2 furlongs) at Arlington Park on August 18 last year.
Bayrir is also a two time winner in France including a win in the Group 2 €130,000 Prix Eugène Adam (Grand Prix de Maisons-Laffitte) (1 ¼ miles) at Maisons-Laffitte on July 22, 2012.
Bayrir has been given a rating of 103 for his Australian debut in the Winter Challenge with the Gai Waterhouse trained Under The Sun the nearest of his rivals with a rating of 100.