News

Waller has good news for Pressday fans

26th Oct 2010

AAP Racing - Warwick Barr - Monday, 25 October 2010

Physical improvement has been identified as the key factor to help Pressday over the line in the Coolmore Stud Stakes.

Sydney trainer Chris Waller has set Pressday for a first-up tilt at the 1200-metre Group One after sacrificing early spring racing for extra weeks in the spelling paddock.

The colt will round off his preparation in a special jumpout among a galaxy of stars at Flemington on Tuesday morning with Nash Rawiller in the saddle.

"Obviously it's not ideal going in first-up but we wanted to give him a good spell after Brisbane and that's what we did," Waller said.

Pressday confirmed his potential - and set himself up for a lucrative stud career - with an unbeaten run through the Brisbane winter carnival.

A Randwick winner and a stakes placegetter before heading north, Pressday dominated Brisbane's main juvenile races with three wins.

The winter harvest culminated in Group One success in the T J Smith Classic (1600m).

"He's stronger and much more mature but he still looks athletic," Waller said.

Pressday didn't resume as expected in the Brian Crowley Stakes at Randwick on October 16.

Instead, the colt has been kept up to the mark with an exhibition gallop in Sydney and he worked at Moonee Valley last week.

Pressday will be joined by two other Waller Victoria Derby day entries - Shellscrape and Stryker - at Flemington on Tuesday morning.

The four-year-olds are nominated for the Salinger Stakes.

"Like Pressday, they are destined for stallion careers so you've got to have a crack at these races," Waller said.

Shellscrape galloped between races at Canterbury last week - his first public hit-out since winding up on the wrong end of a three-way finish in The Shorts at Randwick on October 2.

The four-year-old is no stranger to Flemington straight course racing with two minor placings at Group One level on his resume.

He was beaten a matter of centimetres in last year's Coolmore Stud Stakes and then returned in February to beat Starspangledbanner into fourth place as he finished third behind Nicconi and Wanted in the Lightning Stakes.