Waller Fields A Half-Dozen in Met

Who Shot Thebarman | Racing and Sports

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On numbers alone, trainer Chris Waller figures to have his picture taken after the running of Saturday's G1 McGrath Estate Agents Metropolitan S. at Randwick. The trick is determining which of the six entrants has the best chance of emerging victorious.

Who Shot Thebarman (NZ) (Yamanin Vital {NZ}) is getting a bit long in the tooth, having recently turned eight years of age, but he appears to retain his zest for racing. Unplaced in his first two runs this preparation over 1400 and 1600 metres, the bay gelding turned in his best effort last time going the metric 10 furlongs when second–albeit a distant one–to Hartnell (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) and ahead of stablemate Storm the Stars (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in the G2 Hill S. at this venue Sept. 17. It can be argued that the 2400m is his optimal trip as evidenced by a seven-length romp in the G2 Zipping Classic and a runner-up effort in the G1 The BMW S. in his two most recent efforts at the distance.

“You've got to hope for a horse like him that one of the lightweights don't just come out of the ground and look like the next big thing because they'll beat him,” Waller told AAP.

One of those better-handicapped horses is the up-and-coming Antonio Giuseppe (NZ) (Shocking {Aus}), winner of five of his eight career trips to the post and four on the bounce, including a 2 3/4-length score under 130 pounds going 2000m just last weekend. He'll carry just 112 this time around, with Glen Boss in from Singapore for the ride.

“What he's got in his favour is that he's still on the way up and he still could improve over that 2400-metre distance,” Waller said.

Allergic (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) enters the Met in excellent form, having finished third to Epsom joint-favorite McCreery (GB) (Big Bad Bob {Ire}) in the Sept. 10 Kingston Town S. before besting the Waller-conditioned Junoob (GB) (Haafhd {GB}) in the G3 Queen's Cup (2400m) at Rosehill Sept. 24. The latter won this event in 2014 only to be disqualified for a drug positive.

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