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By Ray Hickson

Fawkner Park has gone to another level in the Sydney autumn and jockey Tyler Schiller can see a scenario where he could give the biggest race of The Star Championships a shake.

Jockey Tyler Schiller (Pic: Bradley Photos).

Although the six-year-old did have weight-for-age form last year, winning the Q22 and placing in the Doomben Cup, Schiller said his two runs back behind Via Sistina tell him Fawkner Park is the in the game in the Group 1 $5m Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).

“He’s definitely going better than what he was last time in and I’m surprised, I know there’s some very good horses in it, how rough he is in the market,’’ Schiller said.

“I feel like at that level he should need a weight drop to be competitive but he’s shown first and second-up he doesn’t, he can do it with 59kg and still be in the finish.”

Schiller notched his fourth Group 1 when steering Briasa to victory in the TJ Smith Stakes last week and though he’s aware this task is a harder one he’s quietly confident, if Randwick is dry as expected, he’s on a dark horse.

The Annabeal Neasham & Rob Archibald-trained gelding’s spring was centred around the Caulfield Cup, for which he was early favourite on the back of the Q22 win, but he was redirected to Sydney when he failed first-up in the campaign.

He scored a consolation win third-up in the Rosehill Cup.

What Schiller wants in the Queen Elizabeth, for Fawkner Park to be best suited, is a more genuine pace than he experienced when third in the Ranvet three weeks ago.

“For a horse that probably likes a bit more tempo and is looking for a bit further I thought it was a terrific run,’’ he said.

“The tempo in this race will be a lot stronger than the Ranvet and just hopefully from the nice draw we can lob in somewhere around a horse that is going to take us into the race.

“There’s plenty of them, we don’t have to just follow Via or Dubai Honour there’s plenty of horses we can tag into the race.

“As long as we have a bit more momentum than last start he should be finishing strongly.”

Fawkner Park was $26 with TAB on Thursday, he started $15 in the Ranvet, and Schiller is under no illusions about the task ahead to turn the tables on Via Sistina.

“I thought last start we sat on her back and had every chance to get to her but the sit and sprint suited her more than Fawkner,’’ he said.

“First-up when they ran along he got close and with a little bit less luck. It’s interesting, I think he’s a top four player and if we can get closer than that it’d be unreal.”

Schiller is on another Group 1 outsider in Our Gold Hope in the $1m TAB Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) and he says momentum is also key to the under-rated mare’s chances.

She was considered a shade unlucky not to claim the scalp of Ceolwulf when a close third in the Group 3 Neville Sellwood (2000m) last start and he feels she’s been competitive enough in good races to have some kind of chance.

“Her two runs prior were both great, in the Coolmore she followed Lady Shenandoah and just couldn’t go with her,’’ he said.

“I think she showed she’s good enough to match it with Ceolwulf and he’s a pretty quality animal.

“She’s fit, we were hoping to go forward last start but I’m not sure what the plan will be from the barrier.

“If we can be a little further forward than last time it’d be good and if we can get a bit of momentum it’d be better.”

Fawkner Park runs third in the Ranvet

Our Gold Hope, Group 1 placed in the Queensland Oaks last year, is a $41 chance.

Tyler Schiller on Sequista (race 4): “She’s quite sharp for a D’Argento, in her last trial she sprung from the outside and cleared them in 100m. She got it cosy in front but I thought she quickened like a nice horse on the bridle and through the line she extended away from them. She’s interesting, she’s deserving of being in the race.”

On Lady Laguna (race 10): “I thought her run in the Galaxy was good up against some solid sprinters, and it’s proven a good form race so far. I galloped her the other day and she’s going quite well. Other than the top six or so it doesn’t look a strong race.”

All the fields, form and replays for Day 2 of The Star Championships at Randwick