Chris Waller has opted to keep Lady Shenandoah close to home for her spring return, bypassing an interstate Group 1 assignment in favour of Sydney’s $1 million Group 3 Concorde Stakes at Randwick.
The three-time Group 1 winner was not among the entries for the $750,000 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley, which had been floated as an option. Instead, she will take on the 1000m dash at Randwick – her first start at the trip since finishing third on debut at Warwick Farm.
“First time 1000 metres (in Stakes grade), I’d rather do it in Sydney than first time 1000 first time left-handed,” Waller explained. “We’ll just do one question mark instead of two question marks.”
Her performance will determine her next steps, with the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) on September 26 and potential targets such as The Everest or the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) all on the table. “We’ve got to be careful we’re not trying to reinvent her because she’s brilliant and she’s unbeaten in the last 12 months over 1200 to 1600,” Waller said. “Saturday will tell us a lot.”
Stablemate Angel Capital is also set to resume, with entries in both the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Randwick and the Listed Chautauqua Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley. “We’re just trying to work out where he runs after that; he’s either going towards the Epsom or the Sir Rupert Clarke,” Waller said, noting the Tramway was shaping as a strong contest.