Night’s Watch is set to step out in the first Group 1 of the year when he lines up in Saturday’s C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
After being prepared from trainer Chris Waller’s Rosehill base in readiness for his return, Night’s Watch made the float trip down the Hume Highway in excellent order, arriving in to Melbourne in the early hours of Monday morning ahead of the first assignment this campaign.
He conducted his last serious piece of work with an exhibition gallop in between races at Randwick on Saturday when ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, pleasing Waller in the process. “He was not out there to break the track record, just simply go through his gears and enjoy himself and Kerrin was really happy with the way that he worked”.
His trackwork too has been high quality and two efforts at the trials in January eye-catching.
A proven first up performer (5: 2-1-1), Night’s Watch will return to Caulfield for the first time since running 2nd in Group 1 Toorak Handicap behind Fierce Impact last October.
Damien Oliver has been booked to ride. He will be looking to bring up his first win on the six-year-old son of Redwood, having previously partnered him across last year’s Spring Carnival in both the Cantala & Mackinnon Stakes.
