2024 Caulfield Cup: Champion trainer Chris Waller eyes third win in five years

Champion trainer Chris Waller has set his sights on a third $5m Group 1 Caulfield Cup in five years on Saturday and could lay the platform for a second Melbourne Cup crown next month.

Champion trainer Chris Waller has his sights on a third $5m Group 1 Caulfield Cup in five years and could lay the platform on Saturday for a second Melbourne Cup crown.

Waller has Group 1 winners Buckaroo and Land Legend primed for the Caulfield Cup, while Valiant King – “the further the better for him” – will aim to boost his Melbourne Cup ambitions.

Metropolitan winner Land Legend impressed Waller, who won the Caulfield Cup previously with Verry Elleegant (2020) and Durston (2022), physically and again after an exploratory track gallop on Tuesday, while Buckaroo worked powerfully in the familiar surrounds.

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Buckaroo roared to victory two starts back at Caulfield in the Underwood Stakes and placed second in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington, beaten a head by Cox Plate-bound star stablemate Via Sistina.

Waller liked the way Buckaroo quickened around the bend on Tuesday and “his recovery afterwards”.

“He’s got great lead-up form, which makes the job a bit easier, it’s just about maintenance and he’s maintained well,” Waller said.

“The way he got around here winning the Underwood was pretty good, I thought at the 500m he looked like the winner but I didn’t expect him to power on and keep running like he did.”

Favourite Buckaroo drew barrier eight on Tuesday and duly shortened from $5 into $4.60 with Ladbrokes.

Land Legend stayed firm as an $8 equal third elect with Godolphin’s star staying mare Zardozi, who he denied in the Metropolitan last start.

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“He worked very well, I think he’s come on well since his Metropolitan win,” Waller said.

“He was only third-up and he’s quite a gross horse and I thought he looked fitter today in the parade ring here and worked accordingly.

“He worked well, recovered well, I think he’s on an upward plane.”

The trip to Caulfield should hold Land Legend in good stead for race day.

“He’s a pretty versatile horse, he’s not your big rangy stayer,” Waller said.

“He’s quite a compact horse, by Galileo, he’s a strong compact horse and I don’t think it (getting around the circuit) will be a problem.”

Land Legend must overcome 83 years’ history on Saturday as he attempts to become the first horse since Velocity in 1941 to win the Caulfield Cup from barrier one

Waller, who spoke after trackwork and before the barrier draw, happily deferred gate tactics to world class jockeys Joao Moreira (Buckaroo) and Zac Purton (Land Legend).

“It doesn’t bother me, you can’t do anything about it,” Waller said.

“As we saw last week with Damian Lane in the Caulfield Guineas, when you’re handing the horse over to the jockey, they’ve got to make the decisions.

“Those big race jockeys make the decisions right more often than not, Joao Moreira he really is magic, that’s a big plus.

“Zac Purton is as good as, I’m sure he thinks he’s better than Joao, it’s good to have two confident jockeys.”

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Valiant King, a $61 outsider, finished sixth in the Caulfield Cup last year.

He worked on Tuesday with Melbourne Cup hopeful Francesco Guardi, a Caulfield Cup third emergency.

“They’re probably longer distance horses, not quite as sharp as the other two,” Waller said.

“Valiant King is certainly a Melbourne Cup horse, the further the better for him.

“Francesco Guardi similar … he’s back where he needs to be, I liked his run last start and 2400m if he runs will be suitable otherwise we’ve got the Geelong Cup or Moonee Valley Gold Cup.”

Originally published as 2024 Caulfield Cup: Champion trainer Chris Waller eyes third win in five years