Chris Waller knows what works when it comes to the Brisbane carnival and, rather than chasing the black type available up north on Saturday, JJ Atkins favourite Reloaded and Queensland Derby top pick Nobu will be at Randwick.
Reloaded, a smart winner on debut on Anzac day, is following the path two of Waller’s Atkins winners Press Statement and The Autumn Sun took to Brisbane by staying in Sydney a fortnight out and running over 1400 metres.
“When you have done it before like we have with Press Statement and The Autumn Sun, it gives you that confidence,’’ Waller said. “You seem to follow trends as a trainer, as I am sure most coaches would when preparing for grand finals and things like that.
“I see Saturday’s race as a better stepping stone rather than throwing a horse into the Sires' Produce [up in Queensland].
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“I think if he was third up it is a different story. By then he would have had a run at Randwick, run over 1400m and his ability over a mile will get him out of trouble.
“You need ability plus race awareness to win a 1400m race so that is the reason [we are staying in Sydney].”
Waller will certainly know where his team stands for Queensland's biggest day of racing and beyond after Saturday with Nobu looking to back up a 4-1/4 length demolition job over 1800m stepping up to 2000m
Kolding, which is unbeaten since being gelded, is pressing his Queensland Guineas hopes, while Noire starts her path to next month’s Tatts Tiara.
Nobu has already been through a New Zealand Derby preparation and it is the reason Waller opted to keep him in the Sydney stable.
“He’s a good horse and his win the other day was good,” Waller said.
“We’ve kept him back in Sydney because he had a trip to New Zealand so we kept everything as easy as we could before heading up to the Gold Coast on Sunday and he’s a genuine Queensland Derby horse.
“He’ll be hard to beat and he’s got a bit of weight but he won with so much in hand the other day so I wouldn’t expect it to be too much of a problem.”
Waller is excited about Kolding, which has become a racehorse since the operation. He has wins at 1300m and 1250m and steps out in distance two weeks from the Guineas.
“I don’t know (where the ceiling is). I hope I haven’t gone up in distance too quick. It’s 1500m,” Waller said.
“His sectional times were good last start and we’d like to take him to the Queensland Guineas. That’s the reason why we’ve stepped him up in trip.
“I don’t want to turn all our horses into milers but he looks like a genuine Queensland Guineas horse and Epsom horse.”
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Finally, Noire has topweight as she returns from a freshen-up following her third in the Emancipation Stakes in March. She is already a group 2 winner and has only been a couple of lengths away in group 1 company.
Waller has long held her in high regard and decided to target Brisbane after a frustrating autumn.
“It was just the barrier draws [in the autumn] and the big weight she had in the Coolmore that didn't help,” he said “This is her type of race.
“We’re obviously trying to get her to Queensland for the Tatt’s Tiara as well.”