The experience of veteran jockey Jim Cassidy has helped Hawkspur win his first race for 12 months to lead in a Chris Waller-trained army in the Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick.

Waller sent out six runners in Saturday's Group Two feature and they filled the first six places, a record for a trainer in a Group race.

Sacred Falls was the one punters backed into $3.40 favouritism but Cassidy had his own ideas about how he wanted to ride last year's winner, a $10 chance.

The jockey went to stewards before the race to tell them he wanted the option to go forward if he felt he had to.

He followed that plan and sent Hawkspur to the front and had to muster all his strength to hold off Royal Descent by a nose.

"All credit to the stewards. I went to them before the race to say I didn't want to be tied down to riding him back," Cassidy said.

"Weight-for-age races are won by good rides. You need options. It wasn't a change of tactics.

"I needed the choice and going forward was the difference between winning and losing."

Royal Descent ($4.60) finished 1-1/4 lengths in front of Bagman ($31) with Sacred Falls, Moriarty and Junoob completing the stable line-up.

The other two runners, Criterion and Entirely Platinum, finished seventh and eighth.

Waller, who has been battling with a failing voice, managed to get out a few words of praise for his horses and Cassidy who returned to riding on Wednesday after a 10 week holiday.

"This is why Jim Cassidy is so good," Waller said.

"He went to the stewards to tell them what he wanted to do and came to me and said `don't be surprised if I go to Plan B'.

"He wanted to be more positive on Hawkspur and it worked.

"All the horses have run well and it's a privilege to train them.

"They are all horses who have been here year in and year out.

"Any trainer in Australia could have done what I did today with these horses.

"There is a win for Royal Descent. She just keeps getting second by small margins and will head to Melbourne for the Stocks Stakes.

"Bagman is headed to the Metropolitan and there are Group One races coming up for all these horses."