Aeliana Very Unlikely for Melbourne Cup, Says Chris Waller

Sun 25 Oct 2026, 4:16pm AEDT - Sporting Base

Chris Waller says it is “very unlikely” Aeliana will run in the Melbourne Cup, with the star mare now more likely to head to the Champions Stakes on 7 November after her third in the Cox Plate.

Waller outlined his plans for the triple Group 1 winner and her stablemate Birdman, second in the Cox Plate, on Sky Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast Weekend on Sunday morning, Racing.com reported.

“They’ve both pulled up well. They go to the farm for three or four days; they go to the beach in the mornings, and the paddocks through the day, then come in at night to rest,” Waller said.

“We will make a decision in the next few days.

“It’s very unlikely we would run (Aeliana) in the Melbourne Cup. I think she’s still maturing, she’s still not a big, robust horse yet; she might never be.”

The 58kg sticking point

Weight has been the issue all spring. Aeliana was allocated 58kg for the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday 3 November, and Waller made it clear on Sunday that the impost still weighs on his thinking.

“While she’s still in that phase where she’s still filling out and still growing, I’d be reluctant to run her in the Melbourne Cup with 58kg,” he said.

It echoes what Waller said after weights were released in September, when he told RSN’s Correct Weight he “couldn’t believe she got 58kg”, according to Racing.com. Earlier this month he said “it’s not our intention to run” and that the Cox Plate was the focus, Racing.com reported.

Champions Day the likely target

“There’s a good chance, that if she didn’t run in the Melbourne Cup, that she would run on Champions Day (November 7) over 2000 metres (in the Champions Stakes),” Waller said.

Aeliana is also entered for the Group 1 Japan Cup (2400m) at the end of November, Racing.com reported last week.

Birdman and Joliestar plans

Waller said his preference is to send Birdman for a spell, although the Champions Stakes remains an option. Joliestar will “most likely” come to Melbourne to take on Tempted in the Group 1 Champions Sprint, also on 7 November, according to Racing.com.

Aeliana, ridden by James McDonald, finished third behind Cosmic Crusader and Birdman in Saturday’s Cox Plate, the first edition of the race run at Flemington.