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Hungry Heart set to tackle Australian Oaks at Randwick.
Chris Waller is expecting an improved performance from Addeybb (Pivotal) when he and his stable star Verry Elleegant (Zed) clash once again in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Addeybb defeated the daughter of Zed (Zabeel) in the Ranvet Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) and Queen Elizabeth Stakes last season, but the mare extracted her revenge of the William Haggas-trained son of Pivotal (Polar Falcon) on their latest meeting in the Ranvet Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) on March 27.
"It was great to see the Ranvet result, for us to know we can turn the tables on him,'' Waller said.
"He's going to lift and there's a few others there that will jump in, including Sir Dragonet so the scene is set for a great race.
"It's great for Australia, as all international racing is, and we need more of the overseas horses coming here.
"Verry Elleegant is well, I like the three week gap between runs and she came through the Ranvet well."
The five-year-old held a one length margin over the raider in the Ranvet Stakes and Waller expects that Addeybb will have improvement in him given it was his first start since October while Verry Elleegant goes into the Queen Elizabeth with three runs under her belt.
"Hopefully this week is straightforward, she will work in the early part of the week and back off late in the week to have her ready to go,'' Waller said.
"It's her grand final for her preparation, four weeks between runs last start and now it is three weeks so she should be ready to go.
"We've got a pretty good idea how each horse races now, and Verry Elleegant included, so we don't have to change much."
Meanwhile, Chris Waller is hoping for a repeat of the hectic tempo set in the Vinery Stud Stakes (registered as Storm Queen Stakes) (Gr 1, 2000m) to allow classy filly Hungry Heart (Frankel) her best chance to claim the Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) on Saturday.
"I took a lot of confidence out of that in terms of her staying ability,'' Waller said.
"I think she likes a high pressure race, I think the shorter races she's been running in have been lacking speed, and it was good to see some pressure on in the Vinery.
"I'm hoping a strongly run Oaks will help her get into a rhythm and she'll be strong late."
