The Listed $150,000 Sky Thoroughbred Central Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday is one of the highlights of the Australian Turf Club’s Summer Carnival.
The Festival Stakes provides a great lead up to the Group 2 $250,000 Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on December 12 with some horses going on to the Group 3 $125,000 Summer Cup (2000m) at Randwick on Boxing Day.
Last start Rosehill beaten favourite Frespanol has been installed the top pick in our market order for the Festival Stakes at $4.60 and punters will be looking to recuperate some of their money on the Gai Waterhouse galloper.
Frespanol was a winner two starts back in the Filante Handicap over 1600m at Randwick then went down by half a length to his Festival Stakes rival Zanbagh in the November Handicap over 1350m two weeks ago.
Even though the John Thompson trained Zanbagh was too strong for Frespanol in the November Handicap, the five year old mare has been listed at the healthy odds of $15.
In her three year old season Zanbagh was runner up in both the Group 1 $1m Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington and in the Group 1 $1m Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick and the step up in distance to 1500m at this stage of her preparation.
Trainer John O’Shea will saddle up English import It’s Somewhat who is on the second line of betting at $5.50 and has been freshened up after running seventh to Hooked in the Group 2 $175,000 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on September 5.
It’s Somewhat was able to win at his first race start on Australian soil when he beat Rudy in the Group 3 $150,000 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) at Warwick Farm in February but has been out of a place at his next three starts.
The Hawkes Racing Team have brought Ninth Legion back from Melbourne where he ran fourth to Charmed Harmony in the Group 3 $150,000 Sandown Stakes (1500m) at Sandown on November 14 and the six year old has been listed as one of the top chances at $8.50
On the fourth line of betting at $9 is the 2014 Queensland Oaks winner Tinto who will be better for one run back from a spell when seventh to Steel Zip in the Listed $100,000 Keith Noud Handicap (1200m) at Doomben two weeks ago.
Tinto has won over several distances up to 2400m over her career and the 1500m of the Festival Stakes will suit her second up.
Newcastle based trainer Jason Deamer will venture back to Sydney with $10 chance Nevagotavote who has won two of his last three starts in the city, a 1600m BenchMark 85 Handicap at Randwick three runs back and was a last start winner over 1550m at Canterbury in a BenchMark 93 three weeks ago.
Rosehill trainer Gerald Ryan has two solid chances in the Festival Stakes with Peace Force and Red Excitement.
Peace Force has been marked at $11 following her luckless ninth in the Group 3 $200,000 Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day while Red Excitement is a $12 chance coming off a twelfth in the Group 3 $200,000 Guvera Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Derby Day on an unsuitable wet track.
Premiership leading trainer Chris Waller will saddle up $19 chance Heart Testa and top weight I’m Imposing who is marked at $21.