Chris Waller reinforced his position among the Sydney training ranks with a stellar performance in 2008-09 and has maintained the momentum over the first weeks of the new season.As he had the previous year, Waller finished third in the Sydney premiership but closed the gap on the powerful Gai Waterhouse and Peter Snowden stables.Waller has already trained eight winners from the first six Sydney meetings this season and his Randwick runners on Saturday are a mixture of horses coming to the end of

Chris Waller reinforced his position among the Sydney training ranks with a stellar performance in 2008-09 and has maintained the momentum over the first weeks of the new season.

As he had the previous year, Waller finished third in the Sydney premiership but closed the gap on the powerful Gai Waterhouse and Peter Snowden stables.

Waller has already trained eight winners from the first six Sydney meetings this season and his Randwick runners on Saturday are a mixture of horses coming to the end of their preparations and those on the road to spring riches.

Up And Coming Stakes favourite Shellscrape leads the charge and comes into the 1200m race off a length win over Queenslander Sniplaz in the San Domenico Stakes last Saturday week.

"If he wins or goes extremely well then we will consider backing him up in the Golden Rose a week later," Waller said.

"But we will see what happens in the Up And Coming.

"It's a slightly stronger race than the San Domenico so we are not taking it lightly."

After notching four minor placings at his first four starts, Shellscrape won an 1100m race at Canterbury in March.

After two more starts in Sydney, Shellscrape went to Brisbane where he regained his winning ways, firstly at Doomben and then in the Listed Australia Post (1400m) on June 20.

After a few days rest, Shellscrape was back in work in Brisbane with Waller targeting the San Domenico.

Because he was not among the original nominations for the $1 million Golden Rose (1400m), owner Geoff Grimish will be up for a $50,000 late payment fee if he decides to run Shellscrape in the first Group One of the season.

Waller has two runners - Deer Valley and We Betcha - in the Group Three Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m), the first leg of the four-race Princess Series for fillies.

Deer Valley finished a short neck second to Gigas over 1200 metres at Randwick on August 8 while We Betcha was 5-1/4 lengths seventh in the same race.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained More Joyous dominates betting on the race, holding sway over Melito with Deer Valley at $12 and We Betcha a $51 chance.

"We Betcha had no luck last time and her run was better than it seemed," Waller said.

"Both fillies are going up in class but I expect them to be very competitive."

Waller has Altered Boy engaged in the MTA Pre Purchase Inspection Hcp (1200m) with the gelding attempting his fourth consecutive win.

The stable's other runner is European import Hawk Island who runs in the QBE Workers Compensation Hcp (2400m).