The Spring Cups look firmly on the agenda for Chris Waller’s untapped stayer Finche who was ultra-impressive winning the Group 3 $160,000 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on Saturday.

2019 Melbourne Cup hope Finche was impressive winning the Kingston Town Stakes at Randwick. Photo: Steve Hart.

The imported six-year-old remains lightly raced with the Kingston Town Stakes on George Main Stakes Day just the 12^th career run for the well-bred son of boom galloper Frankel.

“He’s a pretty good horse. He’s great to be training for Prince Khalid along with the team that have bought into him in Australia. Great to see the colours of Frankel and Enable win at Royal Randwick,” Waller said after the race.

Finche was a revelation for Waller last spring running a third in the Geelong Cup on debut down under before his brave fourth in the iconic Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) over the two miles at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November.

First-up this time in Finche was eye-catching in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) running fifth.

The form of that race was dually franked at Randwick a fortnight on with the runner-up Avilius winning the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m), and Finche taking out the next on the card with a powerful Kingston Town Stakes performance.

Ridden to victory by Kerrin McEvoy who also took out the Sydney Group 1 on Ladbrokes Cox Plate-bound Avilius, Finche was right up on the speed in the 2000m clash well-position in third as the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Stampede led the field around.

At the top of the straight $21 roughie hope Stampede was still in front, but Finche was quickly on the scene chasing down the leader.

Finche snared the lead, beating off Stampede in a very competitive quarter-length win, while stablemate Carzoff ($41) added value to the trifecta a further length back for third.

“Great to have these famous colours here and winning races in Australia,” winning hoop McEvoy said.

“He’s a lovely big horse. He put up a great performance in the Melbourne Cup last year and it was a good first run back.

“Today, second up, he was able to get a nice trail and get out when we wanted to.

“Chris said just build him up and give him a nice last 600m which we were able to do and it feels like he will stay all day.”

“He’s got a big action, that’s for sure, like a big giraffe but he doesn’t gallop like one.

“He is a nice big lad and covers the ground well and enjoyed the big track today.”

Waller has staying options galore over the spring for the more furnished Finche including a possible next-up run back at Randwick on October 5 in the Group 1 $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m).

Finche sits top of the latest all-in The Metropolitan 2019 odds at $5.50 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

He is also likely to head south later in the month for the Group 1 $5 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 19, the stayer into $16 for the mile and a half classic, before a second shot at the $8 million Melbourne Cup.

“It’s a little closer after today,” Waller said of a 2019 Melbourne Cup run.

“We’ll have to go home and map out a suitable plan. He’s a very talented horse. We look forward to getting him there.”

The updated 2019 Melbourne Cup odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au have the defending champion Cross Counter, last year’s runner-up Marmelo and Finche all installed as the $16 equal favourites.

2019 Kingston Town Stakes Results & Finishing Order