Chris Waller might not rate his chances of chasing down his own record for number of wins in a season but statistics suggest he will go close.
The Rosehill trainer has led in a minimum of three winners at the past six Saturday meetings in Sydney.
Included in that period is a five-winner haul on May 31 and four winners on the last two Saturday cards.
He is 21 short of his 2012-13 mark of 167-1/2 winners but if he can maintain his current pace – and early markets for Rosehill on Saturday suggest he can this weekend – Waller could yet give his record a shake.
Jockey Blake Shinn has not contributed to Waller’s recent charge but he gets the chance to change that at Rosehill.
He will partner the most fancied of Waller’s five runners in the Listed Civic Stakes (1350m) when he links with $6.50 chance Tougher Than Ever for the first time.
“His stable is flying. Obviously he’s trying to break his own record from last season and hopefully we can help him add another win towards achieving his record,” Shinn said.
The well-travelled Tougher Than Ever has recently returned to Waller after an unsuccessful campaign in Singapore.
After resuming with a midfield effort at the stand-alone Hawkesbury meeting in May, he was a fighting fourth to Scream Machine, an effort Shinn said had merit.
“He should be hitting peak fitness now,” Shinn said.
“His last run was a good, solid effort running fourth, he just got collared in the latter stages of the race and he should be ready to put his best foot forward on Saturday.”
Shinn will also ride last-start winner You’ll Never for Waller in the final race.
You’ll Never is second pick behind stablemate Amovatio who is one of three Waller-trained favourites on the eight-race card.
Meanwhile, Melbourne Cup favourite The Offer will have an exhibition gallop with stablemate Travolta at Rosehill.