Dual Oaks winning mare Egg Tart is one of four Chris Waller trained horses among the nominations for the Group 2 $200,000 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Egg Tart, above in green and red colours, is among the nominations for the Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Jenny Barnes.

Egg Tart, above in green and red colours, is among the nominations for the Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Jenny Barnes.

Egg Tart has been joined by stablemates Foxplay, Good Prospect and Omei Sword among the twelve nominations for Quality Handicap with the Australian Turf Club extending the entry deadline until 11am on Tuesday September 5, 2017.

Egg Tart proved her toughness during the Autumn and Winter months with wins in the Group 1 $400,000 Schweppes Oaks (registered as Australasian Oaks) (2000m) at Morphettville and in the Group 1 $500,000 Treasury Brisbane Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Doomben before heading for a break.

Waller has selected the Group 1 $1m Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on September 30 as Egg Tart’s main Sydney Spring Carnival target.

“I think she is a genuine Epsom horse,” Waller told AAP.

“We gave her a good break after Queensland and that is the reason she wasn’t racing two or three weeks ago.

“She is not a big mare but she is very athletic and quite fit.

“Taking her to the races just gives her a day out and blows the cobwebs out.”

Even though Egg Tart showed plenty of staying ability during her Autumn campaign with two Oaks victories, Waller is not convinced that the Sebring four year old mare is ready for a gruelling 2400m of the Group 1 $3.15m BMW Caulfield Cup at Caulfield on October 21

“It is a hard race and I think it takes a lot out of a newly turned four-year-old mare,” Waller said.

“I think Egg Tart is the sort of horse who could be even better in the autumn so we will look after her.”

Foxplay will be lining up for her second Sydney Spring Carnival outing after going down by a short head to her glamour stablemate Winx in the Group 2 $250,000 Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 19 while Omei Sword will be fitter for her first run back when fifth to Deploy in the Group 3 $150,000 Suttons Show County Quality (1200m) at Randwick on August 19.

Omei Sword is also nominated for the Group 3 $150,000 Irresistible Pools Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday as is the Ron Quinton trained Dixie Blossoms..

The Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig have two entries for the Theo Marks Stakes, the consistent Cannyescent and Irish import Dibayani.

Nominations for the 2017 Theo Marks Stakes

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp Rating
1 6×15161112 CANNYESCENT G 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 96
2 x1111x2141 DEPLOY G 5 Gerald Ryan 100
3 x23292490x DIBAYANI (IRE) G 8 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 103
4 214x31033x DIXIE BLOSSOMS M 5 Ron Quinton 106
5 431x11111x EGG TART M 4 Chris Waller 104
6 10x20407x2 EURO ANGEL (NZ) M 5 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 101
7 14x24141x2 FOXPLAY M 4 Chris Waller 112
8 77x0472x5x GOOD PROJECT H 6 Chris Waller 105
9 17×5513211 MANA G 6 Craig Ritchie 80
10 060x57864x MIGHTY LUCKY G 8 Fred Cowell 101
11 29x12x27x5 OMEI SWORD M 4 Chris Waller 99
12 47x49155x3 SANTA ANA LANE G 5 Anthony Freedman 96

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.