Champion trainer Chris Waller could potentially have a team of five with the quintet all made up of males in the Aug. 29 Memsie Stakes (G1) at 1,400 meters (about 7 furlongs) at Caulfield Racecourse.
After landing the Winx Stakes (G1) with top mare Autumn Glow, Waller could have Angel Capital, Birdman, Beiwacht, Buckaroo, and Autumn Boy in the second group 1 race of the season.
"It's only bad luck that is holding him back from being a multiple group 1 winner," Waller said of Angel Capital. "He'll get his chance on Saturday, but I am a little bit concerned about the track.
"His better form is on better tracks, but the beauty of Caulfield is it does dry very well. The 1,400 meters is a good distance for him, and he normally runs well at Caulfield. He's come on well and, if anything, better than I thought. He's held his weight as he's a mature colt now.
"Birdman, Jye McNeil was aboard, and he said he felt great, had a good attitude. He found good form down here in the autumn and he carried it right through to Brisbane, winning the Doomben Cup. He resumes ahead of a good preparation, we hope."
Meanwhile, Waller said Autumn Boy would remain in Melbourne following Saturday's Memsie after being scratched from the Winx, and that Beiwacht, who also missed the Winx because of an elevated temperature, had been given the all clear by vets for this weekend's contest.
"He's a stallion, a multiple group 1 winner, and we're keen to get him to a Cox Plate," Waller said of Autumn Boy. "There's lots of options down here and once he gets out to 1,600 (about 1 mile), 1,800 (about 1 1/8 miles), 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles), he will be a horse to be reckoned with.
Ciaron Maher is confident that his three-time group 1 winner Jimmysstar can put in a bold effort in the Memsie. The 7-year-old gelding was last seen running second in the Kingsford-Smith Cup (G1) at 1,300 meters (about 6 1/2 furlongs) in May and has not raced in Melbourne since finishing seventh in the William Reid Stakes (G1) 1,200 meters (about 6 furlongs) back in March.
"He worked at Warwick Farm yesterday (Aug. 24) on the course proper. His work was very sharp. His two jumpouts have been very sharp, this prep, and I'm just rapt with the way he's come up," Maher told Racing.com.
Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr. will have a pair of runners in the Memsie.
Both Sabaj and Planet Red ran well in group 1 contests last season, with the former hitting fourth in both the All-Star Mile (G1) at 1,600 meters and the Australian Cup (G1) at 2,000 meters. Meanwhile, the latter finished second in both the Caulfield Guineas (G1) at 1,600 meters and the Australian Guineas (G1) also at 1,600 meters. However, Price expects both to come on for their runs this weekend.
Blake Shinn partnered Planet Red in a recent Pakenham jumpout Aug. 11 behind Sheza Alibi, while Sabaj finished just in front of his stablemate in the same heat.
"They're both going well, but I don't expect either of them to win, I suppose," Price said. "Sabaj is a Cranbourne Cup winner who has a nice race in him, while Planet Red is a 3-year-old going into his 4-year-old year. I think they'll both be suited in mile handicaps, like the Toorak and those sorts of races."
