Only two trainers have taken honours in the Turnbull Stakes in the past six runnings of the Group 1 race.
Chris Waller is aiming for his fifth win on end when he saddles Verry Elleegant in the 2000m contest at Flemington and sixth in seven years.
He started his run with Preferment in 2015 then watched Winx win in 2017 and 18, Kings Will Dream in 2019 and Verry Elleegant last year.
The one to spoil the party was Hartnell in 2016 for John O’Shea in the Godolphin Royal Blue colours.
O’Shea is no longer the head trainer at Godolphin with James Cummings now in control and those Royal Blue colours will be worn by Collette on Saturday.
The five-year-old daughter of Hallowed Crown is a bit of a sleeper ahead of Saturday’s race, but she is third favourite with TAB at $8.50 behind Verry Elleegant ($2.30) and Incentivise ($2.80).
Collette is on the path to the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 16 for which she is the second favourite with TAB at $11 behind Incentivise ($3.50).
Saturday’s run, her third this preparation, will provide Cummings with some important intel as to how the more is progressing, although the stable is certainly happy with her progression this campaign.
After a first-up sixth in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 28, Collette finished fifth to Incentivise in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 11.
“She’s going particularly well. She’s been hitting the line really nicely in her two runs back this preparation,” Cummings said.
“She’s now getting up to 2000 metres for the first time this preparation. It looks like it should suit her, and under the set weights and penalties, she’s nicely in at the weights.
“There is a lot to like about the way she prepped for this race, and she will be well and truly on trial for the Caulfield Cup at the very least.”
And Cummings will not be too disappointed to see rain at Flemington ahead of the 2021 Turnbull Stakes.
“Colette has had big runs on wet tracks, so it would be nice to see her get her toe in the ground,” he said.
