Innovative thinking from trainer Chris Waller has seen Weary return to his winning ways by taking out the Group 2 Expressway Stakes.

Waller has long held the reputation of being one of Australia’s leading horsemen however the Rosehill based trainer admitted to being stumped by the case that has been Weary.

Tagged as a potential Cox Plate horse after a superb 2014 autumn campaign where he placed in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile and the All Aged Stakes, Weary disappointed during a three start spring campaign.

The Duncan and Mary Grimish-raced runner had been refusing to gallop at trackwork which was just one of the highly strung gallopers quirks.

With the employment of a companion pony by Weary's side named Dunlop at the start of his latest preparation, it is clear Waller has found the key to the import based on a first up success in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill.

Nicely into stride for jockey Tommy Berry, the grey found the fence and settled sixth behind an early three way speed battle.

Always saving ground, Weary stayed near the rail on straightening and while perhaps not on the best part of the track, unwound well along the inside to collar a brave Driefontein in a head bobber.

The performance was a sign the Astronomer Royal gelding was back to somewhere near his best with the first up performance yielding the five-year-old a Timeform rating of 116.

This effort comes in just one pound shy of a master figure achieved when second in the All Aged Stakes (1400m) behind Hana’s Goal during the autumn.

Waller saddled up five runners in the event, all of which are at this stage expected to contest the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on February 14.

Weary holds a nomination for the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 14.

Earlier in the program, the two-year-olds were sent out to contest the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) and the Group 3 Widden Stakes (1100m).

A bold winning performance in the Canonbury Stakes by the Gai Waterhouse-trained Vancouver has seen the colt elevated to favouritism for next month’s Golden Slipper.

The Breeders’ Plate winner from the spring hit the ground running first up and continued Gai Waterhouse’s dominance of the event since Sebring claimed the 2008 renewal.

Vancouver was settled back in the field by jockey Tommy Berry and the pair waited patiently until straightening before making their move.

Berry switched the colt off heels from the 400m and Vancouver let down well in the straight, collaring early leader Outreach with 50m remaining before a three-quarter length win ensued.

The run returned a Timeform rating of 110, a pound shy of the colt’s master Timeform figure yielded when winning the Breeders’ Plate on debut.

Gai Waterhouse has won four of the past eight Breeders’ Plate renewals with Vancouver following in the footsteps of former stable runners Sebring, Raceway and Fighting Sun 12 months ago.

Vancouver’s Timeform rating of 110 is shy of what those previous Waterhouse runners produced however his master of 111 returned in the Breeders’ Plate still sees the Medaglia D’Oro colt sitting second in the two-year-old rankings for this season.

Fontiton remains at the top of the table for her blistering debut display at Moonee Valley.

Connections of course have the Golden Slipper in mind for Vancouver who can become just the third horse to have completed this double.

Fine And Dandy in 1959 before Sebring in 2008 are the pair who can boast achieving this feat.

The Canonbury Stakes does have the potential to be a stronger form reference heading to the Golden Slipper in upcoming renewals with the latter having been brought forward two weeks.

The Widden Stakes has played host to the last two Golden Slipper winners with both Overreach (2013) and Mossfun (2014) claiming the Widden Stakes/Golden Slipper double.

Overreach was the dominant filly of the early autumn also claiming the Riesling Stakes (1200m) second run from a spell.

Even before these classy fillies claimed doubles, Satin Shoes and Driefontein during the two seasons prior were considered key players heading into their respective Golden Slipper tilts.

This year’s Widden Stakes renewal came in on the weaker side of things won by the Gerald Ryan-trained Fireworks.

It was a workmanlike performance by the daughter of Snitzel, settling worse than midfield before gradual wearing down those in front of her for a slender success.

The performance returned the filly a Timeform rating of 102, well below the prior five year winning average of the event.

Not entered for the Golden Slipper, a $150,000 late entry fee would be required if she were to contest next month’s lucrative juvenile feature.

Ratings suggest the filly will need to find substantial improvement if such an exorbitant fee is to be justified.