It’s Sydney’s first Group 1 day of the calendar year and Chris Waller has a short-priced favourite. Oh, and it’s a mare.

If the scenario doesn’t sound familiar, it should. Waller has trained the winner of the Verry Elleegant Stakes (née Chipping Norton) 11 times in the past 15 years. Eight of his winners have started favourite, and the past seven have been mares.

It’s a rare level of domination by a stable in a major race. Waller last year broke the record he jointly held with the late T.J. Smith, whose 10 Chipping Norton wins took him 27 years to compile, from Somerset Fair in 1956 to Vivacite in 1982.

Next on the leaderboard is Smith’s daughter Gai Waterhouse with six wins, but none since Theseo in 2010 — the year before Waller won his first with Danleigh.

Last year Waller had four runners in the race including the first three picks in betting — Via Sistina ($1.60), Fangirl ($3.30) and Lindermann ($11). They duly filled the trifecta in that order.

Waller retired Via Sistina last month but a handy replacement has rolled off the assembly line in the undefeated Autumn Glow, who will likely go around at a similar price. In case back-up is required, Waller has another useful mare in Aeliana as well as the returning Lindermann.

Melbourne’s major this Saturday, the Australian Guineas at Flemington, has proved far less predictable in recent years — not to mention less Waller-friendly.

He’s had nine runners in the race for one placegetter — the ill-starred Riff Rocket, who ran third to Southport Tycoon as a $2.50 favourite in 2024.

Riff Rocket joins Tagaloa ($3.50), Profondo ($4.60), Jacquinot ($2.70) and Sepals ($3.70) as an Australian Guineas favourite to have got rolled since Alligator Blood won on the eve of COVID’s arrival in 2020.