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Chris Waller‘s front-running speedster Beiwacht made a brilliant return in Saturday’s stacked Memsie Stakes 2026 field coming back as a four-year-old to beat old marvel Mr Brightside by three lengths in a stunning first-up effort at Caulfield to kick off Group 1 racing in Melbourne for the spring.

The opening elite level of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival was one for the ages as Waller’s now very valuable Bivouac entire continued his 1400m dominance with a demolition job fresh in the Group 1 $750,000 Memsie Stakes to blitz his Caulfield debut.

Already a dual Group 1 winner over the distance as a three-year-old when claiming last year’s Golden Rose by four lengths before beating home his older rivals in this autumn’s All Aged Stakes in Sydney, Beiwacht ($6) franked his good lead-up trial form with another very strong seven-furlong performance.

“He’s done a great job,” Waller told Racing Victoria.

“He beat the older horses in the All Aged and it was a great ride by Nash today and to see him come back, it was a terrific win.”

His All Aged winning hoop Nash Rawiller reunited with him in the Memsie and gave the still progressive galloper another gun ride that saw him put a big margin on the returning veteran and 2023 Memsie champ Mr Brightside who ran second in the race for the third year running.

“It (Rawiller’s ride) came about in the autumn when he won the All Aged Stakes when his normal rider wasn’t available,” Waller said.

“He loves Caulfield, Nash, and he’s a patriotic Victorian and he doesn’t say much.

“It was the perfect booking, as simple as that.”

Rawiller, meanwhile, had plenty to say about Beiwacht’s return.

“What a thrill. You know, I just pray all week that he’d come out and do something like that, but it’s like a dream come true when he has,” he said.

“He’s always been a lovely colt and, you know, an entire as a four-year-old, but he just went to a new level today. There’s no doubt about that.

“He’s always had a good attitude, he’s always just had that raw, high cruising speed, he’s just matured and God, that was a special feeling the whole way up the straight. He just had them cold. It was exciting.”

Cosmic Crusader meanwhile rounded out the Memsie Stakes trifecta with a brave third having suffered his first loss of the season following his lead-up wins in the Bletchingly and PB Lawrence Stakes.

The Memsie Stakes speed map always looked favourable for Beiwacht who jumped out of gate seven to hit the front and lead from barrier to box in a powerhouse effort going to another level ahead of a big spring prep for the now triple Group 1 champ.

“He’s really fitted in well to our system,” Waller said speaking of getting the Godolphin-raced Beiwacht when his former trainer James Cummings headed overseas last year.

“Saddling him up before the race, he was a delight to work with. He was really focussed. It sounds like I’m talking about a person, but he was really in the zone and just concentrating on his racing.”

Looking ahead, Waller was quick to rule out any Flemington spring features after Beiwacht failed to handle the straight when dead last in the Lightning Stakes first-up in the autumn, but said an international bid wasn’t off the cards.

“We said last year we were keen to take him internationally, but he’s not a real straight horse,” the master horseman explained.

“He was out of his comfort zone in the Lightning, and it dented our confidence a little bit.

“He’s a specialist 1400-metre type horse, so there are some international thoughts there.

“We’ll find something. I’ll talk to the Godolphin team and I’m sure there will be some good races in store for him.”

Looking at the spring racing calendar, potential options on home soil for the impressive Memsie Stakes winner include the Group 1 $1 million Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes back at the same track and trip on September 19 or even a trip to Sydney to take on his fellow four-year-olds in the lucrative $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Randwick on October 31.

Beiwacht has shot straight to the top of futures 2026 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes betting in from $15 to $7 through Ladbrokes.com.au, while he sits at $11 on the third line having eased out slightly in early Golden Eagle odds.

2026 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Odds

2026 Memsie Stakes Results