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Waller confident ahead of Randwick Group 1
Trainer Chris Waller is brimming with confidence ahead of Nature Strip’s (Nicconi) defence of his TJ Smith Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) crown at Randwick on Saturday.
In lining up in the Group 1, the son of Nicconi (Bianconi) will be looking to land his sixth elite level race and also extract his revenge on Eduardo (Host), who came out on top of their last clash in the Challenge Stakes (Gr 2, 1000m) and Waller is expecting another great race.
"It's going to be a great race simple as that,'' Waller said.
"Eduardo is going terrific, they have got him to a new level I feel and he is certainly the benchmark.”
Waller had considered running Nature Strip in The Galaxy (Gr 1, 1100m) - which was won by Eduardo - but decided against that when he was handed 59.9kg.
"It was a big weight (in the Galaxy) and on wet tracks they do take their toll and we didn't want to flatten him going into a TJ. Hopefully 1200 metres will suit Nature Strip a bit more."
Nature Strip will line up alongside his Coolmore Stud Stakes (registered as Ascot Vale Stakes) (Gr 1, 1200m)-winning stablemate September Run (Exceed And Excel), who ran second behind him in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) on February 13.
Since that run, the daughter of Exceed And Excel (Danehill) finished tenth in the Newmarket Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m) and she was last seen running an eye-catching fourth William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), and Waller is confident she can run a better race on Saturday.
"She had no luck at Moonee Valley and still charged to the line,'' Waller said.
"Her sectional times were good and she has settled back into Rosehill without any problems. The William Reid run was terrific and she'll keep them honest."
Meanwhile, trainer Joe Pride is confident last start Galaxy winner Eduardo can beat Nature Strip again when they line-up alongside each other in Saturday’s Group 1.
"He has only one way he can win Nature Strip. He is a very good horse and I've got a lot of respect for him but he is very one-dimensional," Pride said.
"He is a bit of a bully and if you take that away from him, he is very beatable."
Pride might be happy to contribute some theatre ahead of the T J Smith clash, but he has a serious horse in Eduardo.
The rejuvenated seven-year-old has gone to a new level this autumn, backing up his Challenge Stakes win with a dominant display under top weight of 57kg in the Galaxy.
Getting a Group 1 win was Eduardo's main autumn goal but such is his mood and condition, Pride believes he can add to the tally at Randwick.
"When I brought him back in, I thought his best chance to win a Group 1 would be the Galaxy and that has worked out for us," Pride said.
"There is still some petrol left in the tank and the way he is going, he looks like he would be competitive in anything I put him in at the moment. He is in a great frame of mind.
"He's got a good opinion of himself and a bit of attitude and I like to see that in a horse."
