Chris Waller has decided to prioritise race fitness over a spell as he finalises Beiwacht’s preparation for a shot at a major Group 1 double.
The multiple Group 1 winner has returned to Sydney after finishing out of the placings in the Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on September 27 and will compete in Saturday’s Silver Eagle (1300m) at Randwick.
Although Waller and the Godolphin owners considered sending him directly to the Golden Eagle (1500m) on October 31, the consensus was that an intermediate run would serve Beiwacht better.
“The Golden Eagle is his target race, and we thought, do we go into that race fresh, or do we give him a run in between?” Waller explained. “We went with this race because he’s going to need to be rock-hard fit for the 1500 in two weeks’ time.”
A superb winner of last year’s Golden Rose (1400m), Beiwacht is on a spring mission to become the first horse to win the three-year-old feature and then claim the Golden Eagle (1500m) the following season.
His immediate objective, however, is at Randwick on Saturday. He is expected to be a strong contender, currently listed as the $3.20 second elect behind the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained Skyhook ($2.70), who is aiming to extend his winning streak to four.
The Silver Eagle, however, is far from a two-horse race, attracting a strong field that also includes Attica, Apocalyptic, and the promising trio of Decorum, Night Agent, and Plaintiff.
“Skyhook is a damn good horse. It won’t be an easy run, and there are a few others in it too,” Waller said. “It just shows how these pop-up races can really develop into something. The Silver Eagle worth $1 million is massive and obviously it targets (horses going) into the Golden Eagle. Like the Five Diamonds Prelude next week is worth $1 million and that goes into a $2 million race for five-year-olds. It really is a big thing for the participants, and if we get behind it and build these fields as we are, it will just continue to grow.”
Beiwacht and Skyhook are both prominent in the Golden Eagle markets, trading at $6 and $8 respectively, with Sheza Alibi the $1.80 favourite.
Betting markets for the Silver Eagle are now open at popular Australian betting sites.
