Racing
Waller holds strong Underwood hand
Buckaroo will chase back-to-back Underwood Stakes honours as the Chris Waller stable looks to build their spring arsenal.
Chris Waller could have an army of runners in the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield as he chases back-to back wins in the Group 1 contest.
Buckaroo, last year's winner, will be back to defend his title over 1800m on Saturday and will be joined by Anisette and Moira with Land Legend and River Of Stars also potential starters.
Waller was delighted with the first-up performance of Buckaroo in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 30 when third behind Treasurethe Moment.
"It was an awesome return," Waller said.
"We were left wondering where he was after the autumn. Maybe he is a much better horse in the spring as his autumn form the year before wasn't much better.
"He's had a trial and the 1800 metres of the Underwood should suit him perfectly, but I would have liked to have been third-up in the race.
"He's not, so he had a trial on Friday morning which gave him a day out and he's ready to go."
Anisette has only had the one run back from a spell finishing sixth in the Group 2 P B Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 16.
Scratched from the So You Think Stakes at Moonee Valley on September 6, Anisette led home a jump-out that featured stablemates Buckaroo and River Of Stars over 1000m at Flemington on Friday.
"Her first up run was good, and she missed a run in the So You Think at The Valley, hence the reason she had the trial," Waller said.
"There was a glimpse of form in the P B Lawrence."
Moira will be having her third start in Melbourne, having finished fourth in the P B Lawrence Stakes before running second to Desert Lightning in the So You Think Stakes.
"Her run was probably slightly better than Anisette in the Lawrence and her run the other day was good," Waller said.
"She's got the right profile third-up and Group 1's are not unusual for her to be running in. We're quietly confidence she can take the next step."
River Of Stars and Land Legend are on a path towards the Caulfield Cup while River Of Stars may also be the stable's leading Melbourne Cup hope.
"She's just gradually going through her distances at the moment," Waller said of River Of Stars.
"Once she gets out to the Caulfield Cup we'll know whether she's a genuine Melbourne Cup horse, so she may run there (on Saturday), but it's a part of getting her to the Melbourne Cup.
"Land Legend is ticking along OK, and he might run in the Underwood on his way to the Turnbull and Caulfield Cup."
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