Aeliana to line-up up againstthe boys in Randwick Guineas

Chris Waller has already won one Group 1 this year with a member of his glamour group of three-year-old fillies and he will chase another this Saturday at Randwick.
Castelvecchio filly Aeliana will again take on some of Australia’s highest-profile colts and geldings in the $1million Group 1 Randwick Guineas.
The Thousand Guineas runner-up has been on a different path to Waller’s other top-line fillies, four of whom ran in last Saturday’s Group 1 Surround Stakes, which was won by the Waller-trained Lady Shenandoah, and the master trainer is pleased to have options with Aeliana.
“The Thousand Guineas is so late she needed an extra two weeks in the paddock, so she’s a bit behind the others,” Waller said.
“It’s worked out well, but hopefully we’re not asking too much of her, because it is hard taking on the boys.”
Since the Canterbury Guineas became the Randwick Guineas and dropped from 1900m to 1600m in 2006, Mosheen – the 2012 winner – is the only filly to upstage the boys.
Aeliana resumed against the colts and geldings in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on February 22, charging home to finish third to Broadsiding and Swiftfalcon, beaten just over a length.
She already has some high-profile male scalps at 1600m, having won a Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes that included last Saturday’s Australian Guineas winner Feroce last spring, and while Waller concedes Saturday’s opposition is tougher he is thrilled with her development.
“She’s a stronger horse than she was in the spring and that’s helping me train her better,” Waller said.
“I’m not saying she can beat Broadsiding, or the second horse that ran well the other day, but she’ll be in the finish.”
The Guineas is one of two Group 1 races at Randwick this Saturday, accompanied by the Canterbury Stakes (1300m), in which Waller’s likely starters are Switzerland and the now-gelded Militarize.
Champions Sprint winner Sunshine In Paris, Ceolwulf, Magic Time and last year’s Randwick Guineas winner Celestial Legend are among the others entered for the $750,000 weight-for-age event.