Sydney’s leading trainer Chris Waller has given himself every chance to claim a fourth Epsom Handicap win in the last six years after supplying 23 nominations for the 2018 Spring Carnival Randwick Mile feature.

D'Argento, above, is the early favourite for the 2018 Epsom Handicap at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

D’Argento, above, is the early favourite for the 2018 Epsom Handicap at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

A total of 87 horses have nominated for the 2018 Group 1 $1m Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on September 29 with last year’s winner Happy Clapper also among the entries.

Waller won three Epsom Handicaps in row with Boban (2013), He’s Your Man (2014) and Winx (2015) and will have a host of chances to take the winning trophy home again.

The Waller trained D’Argento has been installed the early Epsom Handicap favourite at $6 with Ladbrokes.com.au while last Saturday’s Tramway Stakes winner Comin’ Through is on the third line of betting at $12 with his stablemates Unforgotten and Paret while Tom Melbourne is marked at $18.

The remaining Waller Epsom Handicap nominations include Group 1 winners Egg Tart, Foxplay, Shillelagh and Single Gaze.

James Cummings also has a strong presence with Group 1 winners Hartnell, Kementari and It’s Somewhat included in the Godolphin stable’s eight Epsom Handicap nominations.

The Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig have nominated nine horses, Darren Weir has five and the training partnership of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have entered six.

The weights for the 2018 Epsom Handicap will be released on Monday, September 10 with the final field to be declared on Tuesday September 25.

Early betting for the 2018 Epsom Handicap at Ladbrokes.com.au: $6 D’Argento, $10 Grunt, Happy Clapper, Kementari, $12 Avilius, Comin’ Through, Hartnell, Humidor, Lanciato, Paret, Unforgotten, $14 Kaonic, Pierata, $16 Best Of Days, $18 Tom Melbourne, $21 Invictus Prince, Le Romain, Sir Plush, $26 Arbeitsam, Champagne Cuddles, Dollar For Dollar, Egg Tart, Sambro, Siege Of Quebec, $41 or better the rest.

Nominations for the 2018 Epsom Handicap (1600m)

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp Rating
1 2131222×4 ANOTHER DOLLAR (NZ) M 4 Chris Waller 89
2 x4205138x4 ARBEITSAM G 5 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott –
3 11x3326x11 AVILIUS (GB) G 5 James Cummings 103
4 1x03438x71 BEST OF DAYS (GB) H 5 James Cummings 92
5 1x11820x50 CABEZA DE VACA G 7 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott –
6 2222x1330x CHAMPAGNE CUDDLES M 4 Bjorn Baker 105
7 0x312561x1 COMIN’ THROUGH G 5 Chris Waller –
8 x533x98x06 DANON LIBERTY (JPN) H 7 Darren Weir –
9 11x13714x3 D’ARGENTO H 4 Chris Waller 105
10 143x1636x3 DIXIE BLOSSOMS M 6 Ron Quinton –
11 1111329×10 DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR G 6 Tony McEvoy –
12 211x1012x1 DON’T GIVE A DAMN G 5 Danny Williams 86
13 1x577421x0 DUCA VALENTINOIS (IRE) G 7 James Cummings –
14 0x400521x5 EGG TART M 5 Chris Waller –
15 274340×000 EMBLEY G 7 Bjorn Baker 94
16 821x0918x4 FASTNET TEMPEST (IRE) G 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig –
17 520634x31x FIERCE IMPACT (JPN) H 5 Matthew Smith 76
18 2x3x411x24 FIGHTING HARADA C 3 Mick Price –
19 75x384850x FOXPLAY M 5 Chris Waller 108
20 08326×0031 GOODFELLA H 4 Bjorn Baker 89
21 3x1111x58 GRUNT (NZ) H 4 Mick Price –
22 262x1213x7 HAPPY CLAPPER G 8 Patrick Webster –
23 290x1304x2 HARTNELL (GB) G 8 James Cummings –
24 39x15233x6 HOLY SNOW H 4 Mick Price –
25 20x4184x81 HUMIDOR (NZ) G 6 Darren Weir –
26 x3613975x5 I AM COLDPLAY (NZ) M 6 Chris Waller 102
27 11x7121x22 I AM SERIOUS M 5 Chris Waller 97
28 25x2124x60 INSTANT DE REVE (FR) G 6 Chris Waller 84
29 2x3620x402 INVICTUS PRINCE (GB) G 6 Matthew Smith 100
30 741x43215x INVINCIBELLA M 5 Chris Waller 103
31 0335x695x7 IT’S SOMEWHAT (USA) G 8 James Cummings –
32 5658221006 JACQUINOT BAY G 11 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig –
33 11x6260x11 KAONIC (NZ) H 4 Chris Waller 91
34 x11130x242 KEMENTARI H 4 James Cummings –
35 8x6537513x KINGSGUARD (NZ) G 6 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 98
36 90x446x5x1 LA BELLA DIOSA (NZ) M 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig –
37 1x31117x48 LANCIATO (NZ) G 6 Mark Newnham –
38 0x74232x17 LE ROMAIN G 6 Kris Lees –
39 20x93116x5 LIFE LESS ORDINARY (IRE) G 7 Chris Waller –
40 2121 MASTER ASH C 3 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 76
41 22x56x430x MEROVEE H 4 Chris Waller 71
42 2741x780x0 MIGHTY BOSS H 4 Mick Price –
43 5×23095611 MISTER SEA WOLF (IRE) G 7 Chris Waller 106
44 63x27314x0 MR MOONLIGHT MAGIC (GB) H 6 James Cummings –
45 x336717x63 MURAAQEB H 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig –
46 100x1x0x85 MUSIC MAGNATE (NZ) G 7 Bjorn Baker 110
47 7433923×39 NETTOYER M 5 Wendy Roche –
48 6412141×21 NIGHT’S WATCH (NZ) G 5 Darren Weir –
49 x1112x412x NOIRE M 5 Chris Waller 95
50 5x568x3111 PARET G 4 Chris Waller 84
51 39x85306x9 PETROLOGY G 7 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig –
52 7x121122x1 PIERATA H 4 Gregory Hickman 109
53 1111x31x31 PLEIN CIEL (GER) G 6 Darren Weir –
54 13173x5x60 POETIC DREAM (IRE) H 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig –
55 23x22872x PRIMITIVO G 4 John P Thompson –
56 x242630x35 PRIZED ICON H 5 Kris Lees –
57 025x2347x8 RADIPOLE (IRE) G 6 Michael Moroney –
58 3722x240x9 RED EXCITEMENT G 9 Gerald Ryan –
59 11x22x0476 RELIGIFY G 8 Chris Waller –
60 14x1143x3 RENEWAL G 4 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 77
61 0x02054025 RHYTHM TO SPARE (NZ) G 9 Michael Moroney –
62 x14312533x ROMANCER (NZ) G 5 Darren Weir –
63 1x0658x077 SALSONIC G 5 Jason Coyle 88
64 326x2811x3 SAMBRO G 4 Chris Waller 95
65 720x2220x8 SAMOVARE M 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig –
66 2x38x947x0 SATONO RASEN (JPN) H 7 Chris Waller –
67 22217x11x1 SAVATIANO M 4 James Cummings –
68 4x31591x3 SEABROOK (NZ) F 3 Mick Price –
69 7x77326x97 SEABURGE H 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig –
70 122x9131x4 SEDANZER M 5 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott –
71 3361x8899x SENSE OF OCCASION G 8 Kris Lees 109
72 x3112x8x1x SEVENTH UP (NZ) G 8 Shelley Hale –
73 1x076x462x SHILLELAGH (NZ) M 7 Chris Waller 109
74 x31124x097 SHOW A STAR G 7 Bjorn Baker 95
75 12235×2 SHUMOOKH M 4 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott –
76 112x1295x2 SIEGE OF QUEBEC H 4 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 98
77 20x22525x0 SINGLE GAZE M 6 Chris Waller –
78 611450×552 SIR PLUSH (NZ) G 6 Bjorn Baker 93
79 4270x0172x SOVEREIGN NATION G 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig –
80 6957×12 TAVISAN (NZ) C 3 Mick Price –
81 939×700537 TESTASHADOW G 7 Gary Portelli –
82 30x25828x2 TOM MELBOURNE (IRE) G 8 Chris Waller –
83 74x612825x TOP OF THE RANGE (NZ) G 5 Michael Moroney –
84 413224513x TORGERSEN (NZ) G 6 Chris Waller 94
85 11x0121x61 UNFORGOTTEN M 4 Chris Waller –
86 1x3431x76x WHOSYOURHOUSEMATE (GB) G 5 Michael Moroney –
87 1131271232 WIDGEE TURF G 5 Patrick Payne –

About The Author

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.