Chris Waller is aiming for another Group 1 victory this weekend, with one of his standout three-year-old fillies set to contest the feature race at Randwick.

Aeliana, a daughter of Castelvecchio, will take on some of the best colts and geldings in the $1 million Group 1 Randwick Guineas on Saturday.

The Thousand Guineas runner-up has taken a different route compared to Waller’s other leading fillies, four of whom competed in last week’s Group 1 Surround Stakes, which was won by stablemate Lady Shenandoah. Waller is pleased with the decision to run Aeliana in this event.

“The Thousand Guineas is so late she needed an extra two weeks in the paddock, so she’s a bit behind the others,” Waller said.

“It’s worked out well, but hopefully we’re not asking too much of her, because it is hard taking on the boys.”

Since the race was renamed the Randwick Guineas and shortened to 1600m in 2006, only one filly, Mosheen in 2012, has managed to defeat the colts.

Aeliana resumed her autumn campaign in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on February 22, where she produced a strong finish to run third behind Broadsiding and Swiftfalcon, finishing just over a length behind the winner.

She has already proven herself over 1600m, having won the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes last spring, which included last week’s Australian Guineas champion Feroce in the field. Waller acknowledges the challenge ahead but is encouraged by her progress.

“She’s a stronger horse than she was in the spring and that’s helping me train her better,” Waller said.

“I’m not saying she can beat Broadsiding, or the second horse that ran well the other day, but she’ll be in the finish.”

Saturday’s Randwick meeting will also feature the Canterbury Stakes (1300m), another Group 1 race, where Waller is expected to field Switzerland and the newly gelded Militarize.

Other key contenders in the Canterbury Stakes include Champions Sprint winner Sunshine In Paris, Ceolwulf, Magic Time, and last year’s Randwick Guineas champion Celestial Legend.