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By Ray Hickson

It’s fitting in a way that champion trainer Chris Waller has chosen the Group 3 $200,000 Furphy Up And Coming Stakes (1300m) for promising three-year-olds Conqueror and Basquiat because ‘up and coming’ is exactly how he sees them.

Trainer Chris Waller (Pic: Bradley Photos).

Both colts are showing Waller the potential to be Group 1 performers this season but in his usual conservative manner is reluctant to throw them in the deep end before they are ready.

Conqueror is a case in point. The flashy youngster was ordered back to the trials by Waller after his first-up second placing at Randwick three weeks ago and is confident it was the right move.

“He was a little fractious in the barriers and (trialling) stops me galloping too hard at home,’’ Waller said.

“I think he is a bit behind the mature horses, that was his second start. (These inexperienced horses) do a few little things wrong, he over exaggerated at one point in the straight and going back to the trials gives them a bit of confidence.”

The flashy Conqueror was able to beat a smart field on debut, including subsequent Group 1 winner She’s Extreme and Group 2 winner Seven Veils, but as Waller said his barrier manners caused him to miss the start when he resumed as he was wayward as he made his surge down the outside.

He showed a sharp dash running the 400m-200m in a race best 11.33 (Punter's Intelligence) among the second fastest last 600m of 35.38.

That race, won by Arnaqueur, contained four-year-olds and was over 1400m at Randwick so it’s a very different task in the Up And Coming on Saturday at Rosehill Gardens.

Waller said he’s wary he’s asking Conqueror, $3.70 favourite with TAB on Wednesday and William Pike to ride again, to come back in distance but he’s adamant it’s for the greater good.

“He was a touch unlucky first-up but ran well,’’ Waller said.

“He’s come through that run nicely. We’re still working out his distance. The 1300m could still be a bit short but it is a good stepping stone towards a mile.”

While Waller’s only Up And Coming win was in 2019 when True Detective won on protest, champion jockey James McDonald is eyeing four straight wins in the event on stablemate Basquiat.

McDonald started his run with that stewards room success then backed it up with North Pacific in 2020 and Tiger Of Malay last year.

Waller sent Basquiat around at Tuesday’s Rosehill trials for his final hit out. The Snitzel colt was blooded at the top level when he ran fifth in the Group 1 JJ Atkins Stakes (1600m) in June.

“He’s come back a stronger horse,’’ Waller said.

“I think he will be better at three, his two-year-old year was okay and a big step off that will hopefully see him running in some good races.

“He will run a nice race first-up but I think continue to improve as he gets up to a mile.”

Conqueror runs second at Randwick on August 6

The duo are part of what Waller regards as a solid bunch of “Group 3 horses” at this stage of their careers that have the potential to climb the ladder.

He includes the likes of recent impressive Rosehill winner Manzoice, who he sees as a potential Derby horse, expensive colt Northern Beaches and the lightly raced Osipenko in that category.

“It’s exciting when you have a handful of decent colts,’’ he said.

“They won’t all come back well but the ones that are looked after at two should come back well. Any of them could step up and be counted.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Rosehill Gardens meeting