Champion jockey Mark Zahra has secured the ride on Fangirl in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield this Saturday.

The Chris Waller-trained mare was floated down from Sydney on the weekend and will complete a familiarisation gallop at Caulfield on Tuesday ahead of her assignment in the first Group 1 of the Melbourne Spring Carnival.

Fangirl was withdrawn from last weekend’s Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick due to the heavy track, a race that was ultimately taken out by her stablemate Via Sistina.

Waller said the decision to bypass the Winx and head south was in the mare’s best interests. “She will run in the Memsie,” Waller confirmed. “She will gallop there Tuesday to get used to the track. The tracks (in Melbourne) dry pretty quickly. They raced there a few weeks ago nine metres off the fence and on fresh ground.”

Fangirl’s record highlights her dislike for heavy conditions, having been unplaced in all five such runs, compared with four wins from nine attempts on soft going. Waller said he expected Melbourne’s drying tracks to give her the conditions she needs. “You’d hate to be on the back foot (at this time), and her second-up run will probably be down there anyway,” he said.

Zahra’s booking is another boost to Fangirl’s campaign, with the mare set to be joined by other Waller stablemates Moira, Anisette and Buckaroo in the Memsie. Among the opposition are Mr Brightside and Here To Shock from Lindsay Park, Antino from Tony Gollan’s yard, Deakin for Phillip Stokes, and the Ciaron Maher-trained duo of Another Wil and Zardozi.

Nominations for the Caulfield meeting close on Saturday, with the Memsie shaping as a high-class contest.

Punters can find markets for Fangirl and all Memsie Stakes runners via Australia’s top betting sites.