Angel Capital made an emphatic statement on his stable debut for Chris Waller, storming to victory in Stakes grade at Moonee Valley. The four-year-old colt, a recent purchase for Yulong Stud, wasted no time in showing his class with a dominant first-up performance.

Originally trained by Clinton McDonald, Angel Capital had announced himself earlier this year with a win in the Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield before being secured by Yulong. Plans to campaign him during the Brisbane Winter Carnival were scuppered by persistent wet weather, forcing connections to bide their time until spring.

Waller opted to kick off his preparation in Melbourne, electing for the Listed Chautauqua Stakes (1200m) rather than the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, and the decision paid dividends. Under Damian Lane, the $2.10 favourite cruised to a 3-¼ length win over Compelling Truth ($14), with Miraval Rose ($9) narrowly in third.

Assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said the team’s focus was on keeping things simple early. “He’s a beautiful horse but he just wants to please. It was very important that we got the little things right today and Damian gave him a beautiful ride. He was nice and soft on him early and when he wanted to open him up, he was there ready to explode. It was an exciting win.”

As a colt, the aim is clear – to secure a Group 1 triumph and enhance his stallion credentials for Yulong. Duckworth confirmed races like the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield or the Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley loom as realistic options in the coming weeks. “With this first run he may settle better next time, and then we can decide if he’s kept at 1200 or stretched back to 1400. But it’s an exciting problem to have.”