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By Ray Hickson

Champion trainer Chris Waller is on a mission to ensure smart sprinter Angel Capital gains what many see as an overdue Group 1 win this season. Sooner rather than later.

Trainer Chris Waller (Pic: Bradley Photos).

Already three times a Group 1 placegetter, the five-year-old headlines the Group 2 $300,000 Kia Ora Stud Missile Stakes (1200m) and Waller said it’s a race that will have him ready to pounce second-up at the top level.

Whether that will be the Winx Stakes on August 22 or the Memsie Stakes a week later is yet to be confirmed but, either way, Waller wants him ready to make a statement.

Angel Capital showed Waller he was ready to return in the Missile with his two trials in the second half of July, the latest of them last Friday.

“He’s well suited at set weights and penalties whereas the others probably aren’t,’’ Waller said.

“He’s a horse that needs to be rock hard fit second-up at 1400m and he could win a Group 1.

“I’d expect it’ll be the Memsie, because he likes Caulfield, so that will be the first target race.”

James McDonald has the ride on Angel Capital and he’s eyeing his third win in the feature sprint having guided Pierata in 2018 and Schwarz when the Group 2 was last run in 2024 – the meeting was washed out a year ago.

Interestingly, the Missile is one Group race in Sydney that Waller is yet to win and after electing to save Lady Shenandoah for later he has the one shot to fire.

It’s rare these days to see a stallion prospect race into his five-year-old season but Waller said Angel Capital, $2.40 with TAB on Wednesday, is showing plenty of zest for racing.

“He’s come back well, mentally he’s great so there’s no reason why he can’t keep going for another year,’’ he said.

“I’m happy with the way he’s racing, he’s showing in his races if there’s more tempo he’s fine. So I have no problems with him.”

There hasn’t been a lot of movement on the TAB Everest front for 2026 just yet with defending champion Ka Ying Rising looming ominously over the race.

As far Angel Capital is concerned there’s no reason he couldn’t earn a second shot in the 10th edition of the world's richest race on turf.

He was only beaten two lengths by the Hong Kong champion last year and his owners Yulong have their Everest slot.

Waller’s classy mare Joliestar is in line for her third attempt, having run seventh in 2024 and fifth last year, as she's returned from her brave placing in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee at Royal Ascot.

When she finished her quarantine at Canterbury she spent a week at Limitless Lodge and is back in the Waller stable.

“We gave her an easy time after Royal Ascot. She had about two weeks off, then did a week in quarantine work just doing dressage and then she had two weeks here,’’ Waller said.

Angel Capital runs fourth in a Randwick trial on July 31

“She could resume in the Shorts, or the Manikato this year is at Caulfield so that’s worth consideration.”

Ka Ying Rising is the $1.50 TAB Everest favourite, he’s due to resume in Hong Kong in a month before entering quarantine for the trip back to Sydney.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Randwick meeting