Australia: Waller saddles six of 15 in Chairman's Handicap

The powerful stables of Chris Waller and Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have the leading contenders in two Group 3 races at Doomben Racecourse in Australia on Saturday.

Waller, who will forever be known for guiding the career of the immensely popular mare Winx, has the top three horses in the weights for the Chairman’s Handicap at 1 1/4 miles – Shraaoh (127.8 pounds), Brimham Rocks (126.7), and Another Dollar (125.6). Waller trains six of the 16 entrants.

Shraaoh won the Group 1 Sydney Cup at two miles in April 2019, but is winless in five subsequent starts, including a 13th-place finish behind Another Dollar in the Gosford Cup at 1 1/4 miles on May 9.

Another Dollar, a 5-year-old mare, ended a nine-race losing streak in the Gosford Cup dating back to last July. In the Gosford Cup, Another Dollar, a New Zealand-bred, finished a head in front of the German-bred Ilwendo, who has won 2 of 3 starts in his career at Doomben for trainer Matthew Smith.

Ilwendo will carry 119 pounds in the Chairman’s Handicap.

The Waterhouse-Bott training partnership start the promising Dawn Passage in the Fred Best Classic for 3-year-olds at 6 3/4 furlongs on Saturday at Doomben.

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Dawn Passage won consecutive seven-furlong stakes at Rosehill Gardens in April and May, improving his record to four wins in nine starts.

The Fred Best has a field of 11, including Grand Piano, who has won 5 of 10 starts. The Best Classic is the second appearance in a group race for Grand Piano, who was fourth in the Group 3 Carbine Stakes at a mile April 4 at Royal Randwick for trainer John Thompson.

First post time for the nine-race program at Doomben is 9:15 p.m. Eastern, or 6:15 p.m. Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.