Dissident gallop ahead of start in 2014 Cox Plate Field

Dissident has had a gallop at Moonee Valley racecourse ahead of an eminent start in this years Cox Plate.

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The Cox Plate stocks of trainer Chris Waller have soared on the back of his dominance of Group One racing in two states.

Waller collected his first interstate Group One double on Saturday when Sacred Falls beat stablemate Royal Descent in the George Main Stakes in Sydney, 15 minutes before Foreteller took out the Underwood Stakes in Melbourne.

All three are being aimed at the country’s premier weight-for-age race and early markets have Sacred Falls and Foreteller among the top fancies.

Waller also has Hawkspur as a Cox Plate wildcard, although the Mackinnon Stakes is a more likely option.

When asked how many Cox Plate runners he could have Waller said: “How many can they run in it?”.

Then more seriously: “I will only run Group One horses in form.

“Whatever deserves to be there will be there.”

Sacred Falls has developed into a mile specialist at Randwick with his George Main triumph coming on the back of successive wins in the Doncaster Mile.

However, he proved in the autumn he could stretch his brilliance to a middle-distance when second to It’s A Dundeel in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Foreteller has been a mainstay of the Waller stable for several seasons and turned in one of the runs of the race in last year’s Cox Plate when he rattled home for fourth.

Waller also believes Royal Descent has the class to be competitive in a Cox Plate, although connections have continued to pay up for the Caulfield Cup as a back stop.

The 2400m handicap might not be on the mare’s agenda this spring but it is the prime attraction for stablemates Junoob and Who Shot Thebarman.

The problem is that, while keen to run the in-form pair in the Caulfield Cup, Waller knows they are outside chances to make the field as both are well down the order of entry amid an influx of international raiders.

He would like to see more local races attract Caulfield Cup penalties or be ballot exempt, particularly Saturday’s Hill Stakes won by Junoob.

“It’s something we need to look at,” Waller said.

“There are plenty of races, don’t get me wrong, but Who Shot Thebarman ran second in a Group Three, he won the other day, he’s won a Group race over a mile and he’s nowhere near getting into a Caulfield Cup.

“In weight-for-age races they don’t get rehandicapped like they used to.

“We need to realise we’ve got home-grown talent as well.”

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