Leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller is looking for back to back wins in the Group 1 $500,000 Treasury Casino & Hotel Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Trainer Chris Waller will have two runners in the Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm. Photo by Daniel Costello.
The 2015 Queensland Oaks was Waller’s champion mare Winx’s first Group 1 win and while the premiership winning trainer doesn’t put his two fillies Sebring Sally and Mount Omei in the same category as the Cox Plate winner, they are both in with a chance.
“Obviously Winx was a bit different and she had Group 1 form coming into the race last year but Sebring Sally’s run was as good as you get really in the Doomben Roses,” Waller told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
“She has come through Tasmania and we haven’t won a Queensland Oaks with that form line before but anything is possible and she is hitting form at the right time of the year.”
The Queensland Oaks was scheduled to be run at Eagle Farm last Saturday but the re-opening of the newly reconstructed track had to be put back a week when the meeting was washed out due to the heavy rain that swept across South East Queensland on Friday night and Saturday.
The classic for the fillies is now one of ten races to be run on Stradbroke Handicap Day on Saturday with the field that was due to run last weekend staying intact this week.
Waller said the rescheduling of the Queensland Oaks hasn’t affected the fillies’ preparation and both would continue on with their regular training routine.
“They both worked on the treadmill on Saturday and will have a gallop on Tuesday,” Waller said.
“They are both doing well.”
Sebring Sally is the more fancied of the two Waller fillies and is marked as s $17 chance in the Ladbrokes.com.au market order for the Queensland Oaks, while Mount Omei is one of the outsiders of the field at $41.
Sebring Sally was sent out as a $101 chance when she put in a fantastic Queensland Oaks trial when second to Kebede in the Group 2 $175,000 Magic Millions The Roses (2000m) at Doomben on May 21 annd has pleased Waller since the run.
“She hasn’t gone backwards and she is thriving,” Waller said.
“The Doomben Roses just showed she is appreciating the extra distance and she did a good job because she was three wide the whole way.
“Anything short of a mile she struggles at and she looks like a stayer and she is definitely in the race with a chance.”
Mount Omei is facing a huge step up class after a 2000m Kembla Grange Class 1 on May 14 and Waller is also pleased with the way she trialled when fourth over 1200m at Warwick Farm on May 30.
“She has won a couple in the provincials and heads up there as a winner. Came through her trial well and should stay the trip,” Waller said.
Queensland Oaks market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $7 Imposing Lass, $7.50 Falkenberg, $8.50 Dawnie Perfect, Provocative, $9 Romantic Maid, $11 Chabaud, $12 Ambience, $13 Kebede, Self Esteem, $17 Tavi Bay, $19 Sebring Sally, $23 Tap This, $26 Alaskan Rose, Dulverton, $31 Sahara Siren, Zasorceress, $41 Ashlee Marie, Mount Omei, $51 Queen Of Wands, Zafiki, $81 Meru.
