Waller hungry for Group 1
HUNGRY Heart beat a long list of Group 1 stars in her maiden hit-out of 2021. Now trainer Chris Waller is keen to see his talented filly capture a major of her own this autumn.
The first horse home in a star-studded barrier trial heat of Waller-trained gallopers at Rosehill last Friday, Hungry
Heart just shaded Nature Strip over 900m in a trial that included Verry Elleegant, Funstar, and Kolding.
Waller was rapt with the display and is determined the daughter of Frankel will fulfil her Group 1 destiny in 2021, after missing out at her two attempts last spring.
Hungry Heart was favourite in the Flight Stakes at Randwick
and Thousand Guineas at Caulfield but finished second and seventh, respectively.
Waller will give her the chance to atone in the Group 1 Surround Stakes at Randwick on February 27.
“Her main aim will be second up in the Surround Stakes, and she will run in the Light Fingers two weeks before that,” Waller said on Monday.
The Group 2 Light Fingers over 1200m is staged at Randwick on February 13, with the Surround Stakes over 1400m a fortnight later.
Group 1-winning stablemate Funstar was runner-up to fierce rival Probabeel when first up in the Surround Stakes at the same time last year, before winning the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes.
Waller is yet to decide if Hungry Heart will follow the same path as Funstar after the Surround.
“I don’t know if we have her distance set yet,” he said. “You just don’t know, but that’s the beauty of the autumn because the horse will tell you if they are Vinery or Oaks horses.
“But she will get her crack at some sharper races.”