Australia’s champion trainer Chris Waller has weight of numbers on his side as he bids to claim a training record-equalling seventh Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick in Sydney on Saturday.

Waller, who trained 339 winners last season, has eight runners (plus one reserve) in the Group 1 feature which is one of seven races – including four G1s – being simulcast, in Hong Kong, from the meeting.

The former New Zealander, now Sydney-based, has won the Doncaster Mile six times – in the past 12 years – and that number is one short of the record shared by father and daughter, Tommy Smith and Gai Waterhouse.

However, exuberant jockey Glen Boss, who partnered Waller’s first Doncaster Mile winner in 2008 and who boasts an unrivalled seven wins in the race, this year stands between the trainer and victory as he rides in-form three-year-old Brandenburg from the John Sargent stable, who is widely expected to start favourite.

Boss is now 50 but he’s been the man for the big occasion throughout his career and that hasn’t waned in 2019-20 with two G1 wins to his name plus victories in the Everest and Golden Eagle, which carried a combined AU$21.5 million in total prize money.

His past five Doncaster wins have been aboard three-year-olds and four of that quintet had contested the G1 George Ryder Stakes in which Brandenburg was the first home of his game group this year.

“Glen had his choice of a few rides in this race,” Sargent said, “but after he got off him after the Ryder he said he wouldn’t be on anything else.

“He (Brandenburg) will run well because he can run on the speed or off the speed, it doesn’t worry him and he handles the wet as well.”

The Randwick track, which is right-handed (circumference 2224m, straight 410m), was rated soft on Wednesday afternoon and further rain is forecast in Sydney this week.

Kolding, Imaging and Shared Ambition are the three best fancied of Waller’s runners in early markets for the Doncaster Mile. Kolding and Imaging are drawn barriers 17 and 20 respectively but 19 of the past 30 winners have come from double figure gates with 10 of those drawing 13 or wider.

Co-record holder Waterhouse, now training in partnership with Adrian Bott, is represented by last start winner Con Te Partiro while the New Zealand mare Melody Belle, a winner of 10 G1 races, is expected to attract support.

Card highlights include the appearance of Castelvecchio, runner-up to Lys Gracieux in last year’s Cox Plate, in the G1 Australian Derby (2400m) while several of the country’s best sprinters compete in the G1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m). They include Nature Strip, dual Everest winner Redzel and last year’s Chairman’s Sprint Prize fourth Santa Ana Lane.