Glenn Davis
The Chris Waller juggernaut is set to continue its pillage of the Brisbane winter carnival at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.
Waller has easily been the dominant player so far this winter winning the Doomben Cup, BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes and Queensland Oaks.
Not only did Waller win with Comin’ Through, Lean Mean Machine and Youngstar respectively in the Group 1 features, the Australian Hall of Fame trainer quinelled all three races.
Waller has accepted with six runners in three races at the Sunshine Coast spearheaded by last year’s Queensland Oaks winner, Egg Tart in the weight-for-age Group 2 P J O'Shea Stakes (2200m).
The Queensland Oaks victory was Egg Tart’s last win but Waller is unconcerned and was buoyed with her second in the Doomben Cup (2200m) two weeks ago.
Waller is hopeful Egg Tart can lay the platform to the spring carnival in Melbourne with a strong performance in the Group 2 P J O’Shea Stakes (2200m).
“If she runs well I’ll look at getting her ready for the Caulfield Cup,” Waller said.
The Sunshine Coast was rated a heavy 10 on Wednesday but it won’t affect Egg Tart who is unbeaten in three runs on heavy surfaces.
All three wet track wins were back-to-back prior to her win in the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks at Morphettville in May last year.
Waller’s French Group Two winner One Foot In Heaven will line up against Egg Tart despite his failure in his only winter appearance in the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast on May 5.
Leith Innes will partner Egg Tart while Queensland’s Damian Browne is booked for One Foot In Heaven.
Waller is chasing his third O’Shea Stakes after Triple Honour was successful in 2010 and Moriarty in 2014.
Only two Queensland-trained horses have won the O’Shea Stakes in the past 30 years, a feat Gold Coast galloper Man Of His Word is aiming to equal.
The Helen Page-trained Magnolia Hall dead-heated with Spring Thaw in 1991 while Gary Newham won the race in 2000 with Ken’s Joy when the race was held at Eagle Farm.
Waller’s other runners at the Sunshine Coast are In Times Of War and It’s Time For Magic in the Listed Helen Coughlan Stakes and Noire and Tougherthantherest in the Listed Spear Chief Handicap.
Racing Queensland webnews May 30