Trainer Chris Waller believes Lindermann is right where he needs to be this spring, even though the talented six-year-old would not have looked out of place in Saturday’s $6 million Group 1 Cox Plate. Instead, the stable star will remain in Sydney, targeting back-to-back wins in the $750,000 Group 3 Craven Plate (1800m) at Randwick.
Lindermann has found a rich vein of form this preparation, winning the $2 million Group 2 Hill Stakes (1900m) after a narrow defeat to Fangirl in the 7 Stakes (1600m) and an earlier victory in the Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) over Sir Delius.
While some may have been tempted to test him against Australia’s elite in the Cox Plate—especially with the late scratching of Globe removing a natural leader from the race—Waller said his focus this season was on rebuilding Lindermann’s confidence for bigger goals next year.
“We chose to stick to Sydney, leave the Cox Plate alone and get him back on top,” Waller said. “We’ll let him think he’s the top dog and we can have a good look in the autumn and try and measure up in Ranvets and Queen Elizabeths if we desire. He’s won a Hill Stakes worth good money, he’s been running behind the right horses when he hasn’t been winning and he’s ready to go Saturday.”
The gelding went winless in nine starts between last year’s Craven Plate and his Chelmsford Stakes breakthrough but consistently ran well, finishing top three in several Group 1 races including the Verry Elleegant Stakes and Ranvet Stakes behind top mare Via Sistina.
This campaign alone, Lindermann has already earned over $1.5 million, taking his career total to more than $3.6 million. A win in the Craven Plate would add another $430,000 to that impressive tally.
Regular jockey Nash Rawiller retains the ride on the $1.55 favourite, with the pair to jump from barrier two in a reduced field of seven after Pocketing’s withdrawal. Waller hopes another strong showing will cap off a rewarding Sydney spring and set the tone for an ambitious 2026 campaign.
Fans can compare odds and markets for the Craven Plate and upcoming spring features at Australia’s top betting sites.
