Champion trainer Chris Waller has locked in star Melbourne jockey Mark Zahra to pilot Fangirl in Saturday’s Group 1 $750,000 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield after abandoning plans to run her first-up in the Winx Stakes last Saturday.

Waller won the Group 1 Winx Stakes anyway with his superstar mare Via Sistina while gun stablemate Aeliana ran a game second however Fangirl’s poor heavy track form saw her saved for the following weekend.

Fangirl was sent down to Melbourne on Saturday night to prepare for the first Victorian Group 1 of the new season and she is now a $5 second elect.

“Fangirl will run in the Memsie,” Waller said. “She will gallop there Tuesday to get used to the track.”

Waller’s only Memsie Stakes victory came via Boban in 2015.

Unfortunately rain could follow Fangirl to Melbourne with showers predicted in the Victorian capital later this week but Waller is optimistic Fangirl will get conditions to suit.

“The tracks (in Melbourne) dry pretty quickly,” Waller said.

“They have a big track, they raced there a few weeks ago nine metres off the fence with fresh ground.”

While the Memsie is a deviation from the original plan, Waller intentionally had his star horses ahead of schedule in the build up to their return.

“You’d hate to be on the back foot and her second-up run will probably be down there anyway,” Waller said.

Waller confirmed he could have multiple runners in the Memsie with Moira, Buckaroo and Anisette all set to feature in the weight-for-age event.

Moira ($15) ran fourth in the Group 2 P B Lawrence Stakes first-up while Anisette ($51) ran sixth in the same event at Caulfield.

Buckaroo, last seen finishing 10th in the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast, is yet to have a start this season.

Waller, who questioned if Saturday’s Winx Stakes meeting should go ahead due to the state of the track, enjoyed another standout day on the weekend.

Superstar mare Via Sistina made an early spring statement by winning the Winx Stakes, boom mare Autumn Glow retained her unbeaten record to score in the Group 3 Toy Show Quality (1100m) while Lazzura highlighted her Group 1 potential with victory in the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m).

Via Sistina is now a $2.20 favourite to defend her Cox Plate crown at The Valley later this spring.

Originally published as Chris Waller locks in Mark Zahra as Fangirl rerouted to Melbourne for the Memsie Stakes