THE HEINEKEN 3

METROPOLITAN

(GROUP 1 HANDICAP)

CHRIS Waller had to wait till the second last race to land a winner at Randwick on Saturday but he made sure the deck was loaded saddling up eight of the 18 starters in the Group 1 Metropolitan, a $750,000 handicap over 2,400 metres.

Coming from mid-field, Patrick Erin, a Gallant Guru gelding, weaved through the field to go after the leaders and take the race by a nose, his first for the stable in seven starts since being sent from New Zealand to tackle tougher tasks.

“We might look at something bigger,” said Waller. “The St Leger is here in two weeks and obviously you’ve got the Cups in Melbourne. Two miles is really going to suit him to hit his peak.”

Quarantine barns filled to capacity

WITH the arrival of the Japanese raiders Chestnut Coat and Sole Impact on Monday, the Werribee Quarantine Centre’s three barns, Newminster, Vintage Crop and Americain, are at capacity for the first time with all 32 boxes occupied.

The weekend saw the arrival on Saturday morning of the Godolphin team of Benbatl, Best Solution, Comicas, Cross Counter, Emotionless, Hamada and Prize Money, and 19 others were on a delayed flight travelling via Sharjah after the discovery of a cracked windscreen.

On that flight which touched down in Melbourne, 20 hours late, were Duretto, Red Verdon and Withhold, as well as Aidan O’Brien’s quintet of Cliffs Of Moher, Fleet Review, Intelligence Cross, Spirit Of Valor and Yucatan.

The other 11 were European horses transferring to Australian stables.