Cellarman to continue family’s winning run

The Chris Waller-trained Cellarman looks primed to return to winning form at Eagle Farm.

Stakes performer Cellarman has given indications he is ready to continue the good week for his family with his comeback run at Eagle Farm.

Cellarman will be having his first run since the winter in the Juiced TV Handicap (1400m) on Saturday.

The gelding is the older half-brother of promising filly Cellarmaid who came from near last to win at Doomben on Monday.

Cellarman is also an older half-brother to Cellargirl who was a stakes winner and ran third to Alizee and Champagne Cuddles in the 2017 Group One Flight Stakes.

The winner of eight races, Cellarman has earned his topweight of 61kg on Saturday from a career which is littered with stakes race performances.

His first stakes win was in the 2016 Listed Wintergarten Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm as a two-year-old and he has been a regular Brisbane since.

Cellarman has been a consistent performer for trainer Chris Waller with his last win in the Doncaster Prelude at Rosehill in March.

The gelding failed to win in the Brisbane winter carnival and Waller elected to spell him in the north which may prove an inspired move.

Waller’s Queensland manager Paul Shailer said Cellarman had come back looking in fine fettle.

“He ran second in a trial last week which was an impressive effort and his work this week has been very good,” Shailer said.

“He has his share of weight and he is probably best after a couple of runs into a preparation but I would expect him to go pretty well.”

Shailer said Saturday’s run would determine Cellarman’s immediate campaign.

“He will get big weights here so if he races well Chris will probably find something for him in Sydney or Melbourne,” he said.

Cellarman will be one of three runners for Waller and Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds syndicates with Fortensky and The Avenger also accepting.

“Fortensky and The Avenger are two of our horses who seem to thrive on travelling up and down the highway between Sydney and Brisbane,” he said.