Chris Waller will bypass Inglis Sprint with Gatsby’s for Group 1 Newmarket Handicap plus latest on Switzerland and Private Life

Champion trainer Chris Waller has confirmed equal favourite Gatsby’s will be scratched from the Inglis Sprint for a Group 1 sprint instead.

Champion trainer Chris Waller has strengthened his Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) hand with smart colt Gatsby’s set to tackle the blue riband Flemington sprint on March 8.

Waller has confirmed Gatsby’s, equal favourite for the $1m Inglis Sprint (1200m) on Saturday, would be withdrawn with an eye on the Group 1 next week.

Group 3-placed Listed-winner Gatsby’s finished third in an 800m jumpout at Flemington on Friday behind Newmarket-bound stablemate Joliestar and Godolphin-trained Traffic Warden.

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“Gatsby’s will be withdrawn from Saturday (Inglis Sprint), a bit of a shame because it’s a nice race but he’s a colt and we’d like to get him into the Newmarket,” Waller said.

“Fortunately they run a big field so I think he could slip into it with the right weight.

“He’s a pretty handy horse, he ran very well in the Coolmore (fifth) back in the spring … as a colt he gets his opportunity with a light weight.”

• Brad Waters’ tips, analysis for Flemington on Saturday

Private Life missed the jumpout on Friday, with the Caulfield Guineas winner set to freshen up in Sydney.

Private Life placed fourth first-up in the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) but only laboured on the hard Caulfield surface last Saturday in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m).

“Private Life felt the track last week at Caulfield and subsequently didn’t run up to his best,” Waller said.

“He’s been set for some tests, had some scans, there’s nothing major, he’s just feeling the joints a little and he just needs a bit of a break between runs.

“He’ll rejoin the carnival most likely in the Arrowfield or the All Aged Stakes in April.”

Star sprinters Joliestar, Gatsby’s (@cwallerracing) and Traffic Warden (@JamesCummings88) work at @FlemingtonVRC ahead of next Saturday’s $1.5m Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m). 🎥: @gilbertgardinerpic.twitter.com/5FWFYJ5zPa

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Meanwhile, Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Switzerland, placed fourth in the Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington first-up, is back in Sydney for the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) next Saturday.

“We could’ve run him in the Newmarket but because he’s a Group 1 winner, multiple Group winner, he’s just going to get a lot of weight,” Waller said.

“That gives the other three-year-olds their chance to beat him, whereas at this stage I don’t think there’s any three-year-olds that will beat him since the Coolmore.

“Weight-for-age against the older horses, he’s pretty versatile in terms of distance, but he’s certainly come through the Lightning very well and we’d expect him to be very hard to beat.”