The airborne Underwood Stakes champ last start, Buckaroo, for Chris Waller heads betting on Saturday’s 2024 Turnbull Stakes field in Melbourne looking for his third win on the trot this time in.

The countdown to the spring majors begins in earnest at Flemington on the weekend with a vintage edition of the Group 1 $750,000 Turnbull Stakes (2000m), and it is a tightly matched market as the bookies have trouble separating the top fancies.

Currently sitting top of the Turnbull Stakes odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au is the Waller-trained Buckaroo at $4.20 and firming who has been a marvel this prep.

The Fastnet Rock six-year-old chases a hat-trick this campaign after a narrow win fresh in Sydney’s Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) before a surprisingly comprehensive 3.5 length demolition job in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield last time out.

Buckaroo has had six attempts at the 2000m Turnbull Stakes distance without a win but there is plenty of money suggesting he can breakthrough here from barrier eight with the ‘Magic Man’ Joao Moreira retaining the ride.

Waller has an excellent Turnbull Stakes record having prepared five previous winners most recently in 2020 with his subsequent Melbourne Cup winning mare Verry Elleegant.

The master Sydney-based horseman launches a five-strong assault on this year’s 16-horse Turnbull Stakes field with Buckaroo joined in the starting line-up by four stablemates.

The other Waller-trained runners are rank outsider Valiant King ($126), the rails-drawn Francesco Guardi ($51), reigning Champions Stakes winning mare Atishu ($12), and the also well supported Via Sistina ($4.80).

Damian Lane partners three-time Group 1 winning Fastnet Rock mare Via Sistina who boasts a terrific record over this distance (9:4-4-0) including her Ranvet Stakes win in the autumn when debuting in Australia.

First-up she put the writing on the wall for a good spring bid with a winning return in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) before a last start fifth to Mr Brightside in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.

She was somewhat disappointing well beaten in the Makybe Diva at short odds but didn’t like the Heavy (9) going and will be better on firmer going looking for atonement up in distance and fit now third-up and ready to fire.

The other key player at Turnbull Stakes odds of $5 is the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained class import Eliyass chasing a sixth straight win.

The Le Harve six-year-old has the outside alley (16) for jockey Ethan Brown to overcome but history shows Gold Trip managed to salute from barrier 16 last year.

The former French galloper has been outstanding down under winning all three of his assignments including a last start Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) win over Ceolwulf in Sydney.

Saturday marks his first Melbourne assignment and his performance in the Turnbull will go a long way in deciding his path this spring.

The 2024 Turnbull Stakes is scheduled as Flemington Race 8 at 4:25pm (AEST).

Click here for the full markets courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2024 Turnbull Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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