No Rest For Waller

Group 1 racing in Australia resumes Saturday with the G1 Memsie S. at Caulfield, and as has become custom in races at the highest level Down Under the Memsie boasts a strong presence from Sydney’s leading trainer Chris Waller, who ships in Boban (Aus) (Bernadini) and Weary (Fr) (Astronomer Royal). The rejuvenated 6-year-old gelding Boban snapped a 13-month losing streak May 23 when earning his fourth Group 1 win in the Doomben 10,000, and was last seen finishing second to the filly Srikandi (Aus) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G1 Stradbroke H. June 6. He should come into this plenty fit, having had two trials at Rosehill earlier this month. Weary, on the other hand, seeks his first Group 1 win. A dual group winner Down Under, the 6-year-old has been in the frame three times at the highest level, and warmed up for this with a second in the G2 Missile S. at Randwick Aug. 8.

The 8-year-old veteran Dandino (GB) (Dansili {GB}) is no stranger to Australia, having made a good account of himself when second in the G1 Caulfield Cup and fifth in the G1 Melbourne Cup in 2013, and the dark bay is now an official Australian resident, having been imported by his ownership group and transferred from Marco Botti to Darren Weir. Dandino faces a tall task, having not been seen since finishing fourth in Kempton’s G3 September S. last fall.

Representing the newly turned 4-year-old crop here is last term’s G1 Rosehill Guineas victor Volkstok’n’barrel (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), who makes his first start since a third in the G1 Australian Derby in April and races well fresh. Representing the females is the consistent Rising Romance (NZ) (Ekraar), who races for trainers David Hayes and Tom Dabernig for the first time off a 161-day layoff. She won first-up last campaign.