Waller turns to Melhams ahead of Oaks

By Brad Bishop and Craig Brennan 

Chris Waller has turned to the Melhams as he strives to add to his imperious Group 1 record this season in Saturday's Queensland Oaks.

Australia's leading Group 1 trainer will have three runners in the $700,000 event, Panova, Chispa and Soverato.

The first two need new pilots after champion rider James McDonald partnered both in their final lead-ups.

McDonald will miss this Saturday's Eagle Farm meeting due to a suspension incurred in Hong Kong on May 24.

Panova and Chispa are fighting out favouritism for the 2200 metre event and will be ridden by Ben Melham and Jamie Melham respectively with Ryan Maloney to take the ride on Soverato.

Panova is striving to emulate another Waller-trained filly, Egg Tart, as the only horse to complete the Australasian Oaks and Queensland Oaks double and Waller has given her the same lead-in as Egg Tart.

The daughter of Trapeze Artist, who had three runs in Sydney prior to the Australasian Oaks, has not started since her win in that 2000 metre Oaks on April 25 with Waller electing to trial her in Sydney in preference to a lead-up run in Brisbane.

"She's come out of the South Australian Oaks win in good shape," Waller said.

"We could have run her in the Doomben Roses, but we chose not to. Again, (because of) travel.

"She's travelled to Melbourne, she's travelled to Adelaide, she's travelled back to Melbourne, she's travelled back up to Sydney, she's travelled (to the Gold Coast).

"That's a lot of travel, so we chose not to run her again and she's well. It was a great win last start and 2200 metres should be no problem."

Waller's two other Queensland Oaks runners did come through the Group 2 The Roses, with Chispa finishing second to Fireball Miss, while Soverato was sixth.

It was a drop back in trip for Soverato, a daughter of Vadamos who finished fifth in the Group 1 ATC Oaks.

Chispa will be having the seventh start of her debut campaign this weekend.

Waller doesn't have any doubts about the daughter of Savabeel and the Galileo mare Scintillula handling the step up to 2200 metres in the Oaks.

"She didn't have much luck the other day, but it was good to see her settle well and do all the little things right," he said.

"She should get 2200 metres easily."

The Melhams will each be chasing their first win in the Queensland Oaks, while Maloney is out to make it two wins in three seconds after his shock win aboard the Ciaron Maher-trained Socks Nation in 2024.