The Guy Walter Stakes might only be a group 3, but it could be the most emotional race held during Warwick Farm's autumn meeting. The name change from the Wiggle has made it special.

"No one remembers who Wiggle was, everyone knows Guy Walter and everyone wants to win it," Joe Pride said. "He was a man that thought more about other people than himself and he has done so much for so many."

Walter died of a heart attack last year and left a hole in the training ranks that can't be filled. It is his mentoring that is perhaps most missed.

"When I was starting out Guy had a treble in the city one Saturday, I went to the track the next day and he was the first trainer I saw," Pride related. "He said to me well done on the winner at Kembla yesterday and wanted to talk about it. He was aware of everyone and their achievements. It was never about Guy, that was just what he was like."

Chintz will be Pride's chance to lift the Guy Walter and he summed his chances up: "She probably needs it wet."

John Thompson is another with an outsider in the race in Danesiri, and he has his own reasons for wanting to win it. "I grew up next door to Guy and saw him every day as [a] kid," Thompson said. "When I went for my trainer's licence, he was one of my three references.

"Dad and my father-in-law gave me the standard one page but Guy's letter was three pages, hand written, telling them how good I was going to be. When they changed the name [of the race] I didn't have a mare that I thought would be in it. Then I got Danesiri and it was the first race I wrote down for her. She has black type form and it would be a race I want to win."

There are several classy mares in the Guy Walter led by group 1 winner Cosmic Endeavour, Dear Demi and Arabian Gold.

David Vandyke, who prepares Arabian Gold, said the Walter influence will be seen in her preparation. "I used to watch what Guy did with his horses, in particular Streama and Appearance, and learn. I would clock them and look at the preparations," Vandyke said. "I would like to think we had similar styles and this mare [Arabian Gold] is like those good ones of Guy's in a sense.

"He was always patient and got the best out of them. Arabian Gold has been like that and I think this is the best she has come back and if she could win this race it would be perfect in a sense because Guy has had an influence on her without knowing it."

Dear Demi is also starting her autumn program for long-time Warwick Farm trainer Clarry Conners, who was Walter's neighbour. "He was a friend or someone who you could just talk to about things. We were great mates and it was a shock what happened," Conners said. "I couldn't think of a better thing than winning the inaugural Guy Walter Stakes."

There is, of course, improvement left in Dear Demi, a group 1-winning stayer, but Jim Cassidy believes she is ready for a big preparation. "She is probably a little bit gross but that's her," Conners said. "Jimmy said she feels better than ever. He thinks she is going great, I think she's going good. I haven't screwed her down for this but she can win."

The final word on Walter has to go to Peter Snowden, who will saddle Mahara, which started her career in his mate's Warwick Farm stable. "He was always there for me and to get a mare like her after his death came with a responsibility," Snowden said.

"She arrived in great order, which was a mark of Guy's horses and we have been able to win a couple of races, including one at black-type level. I thought her first run was very good and the 1400 metres is the right trip for her. It would be great if she could for me personally but also for Wendy [Walter's wife] because of the link she has with him."