Waller Quintet Take on Heart of Puissance

With five acceptances in the Gr3 Premier's Cup (2000m) at Kembla Grange, the Chris Waller stable will rely on numbers to give the stable two winners of the race from the last three years. With five of the 12 runners, the stable clearly has numbers on their side, but it is the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained 5YO mare Heart Of Puissance (Puissance de Lune-Catch A Heart, by Show a Heart) who holds favouritism, even though she will be tackling the 2000m first up from a spell. Ending her most recent campaign with success at Flemington over 2500m, the mare clearly has the staying capabilities. One could question the trip first up from a spell, but then again six of the 12 runners will contest the race either first or second up, possibly highlighting a change in mentality amongst trainers as to how to ready stayers for a campaign. The most favoured of the Waller runners is the Go Bloodstock-raced Dashing Willoughby (Nathaniel-Miss Dashwood, by Dylan Thomas) who starts his Spring campaign in Saturday's race. After showing plenty in two recent trail performances, he looks ready for his first race since a disappointing effort when finishing near last in the 2020 Gr1 Melbourne Cup behind Twilight Payment (Teofilo).