The 2016 Light Fingers Stakes field has been released and eight talented fillies are set to contest the Group 2 event at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Stay With Me is one of eight fillies that is set to contest the 2016 Light Fingers Stakes at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos
Stay With Me has easily the highest handicap rating of any horse in the Light Fingers and she is set to have just her second race start in Sydney this weekend.
The daughter of champion mare Miss Finland took out the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival and she showed that she was ready for a return to racing with a strong barrier trial over 839 metres at Royal Randwick on January 29.
Perignon is another filly that performed well during her spring campaign and she will return to the races in the Light Fingers Stakes following two soft barrier trials at Rosehill Gardens on January 19 and February 1.
She started her spring preparation with a second place finish behind Speak Fondly in the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on September 5 and she only battled in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) on September 19, but she was only just denied a maiden Group 1 victory by Speak Fondly in the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) on October 3.
One of the most interesting horses in the 2016 Light Fingers Stakes field is Godolphin-owned Ghisoni, who has recorded two impressive wins from as many starts during her racing career to date.
Ghisoni made her long-awaited racing debut with a win in the Rewards Maiden Plate (1200m) at Warwick Farm on November 11 and she did things fairly easily in the Watagan Grange Handicap (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on November 28.
She was sent for a quick stint in the spelling paddock, but she returned with a simply outstanding barrier trial over 1050 metres at Royal Randwick on January 29.
Ghisoni is joined in the Light Fingers Stakes field by stablemate Pearls, who took out the Tea Rose Stakes before she finished a close fourth behind Speak Fondly in the Flight Stakes.
The majority of the Light Fingers field is set to return to the races in the Group 2 event, but Team Snowden-trained Kangarilla Joy will have a clear fitness edge over the majority of her rivals after scoring two wins from as many starts this preparation.
Kangarilla Joy returned to the races with a victory in the Schweppes Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on January 2 and she was far too strong for her rivals in the Rewards Handicap (1100m) at Royal Randwick on Australia Day.
Gai Waterhouse-trained Harlem River, Gucci Stakes runner-up Tempt Me Not and Scone-based galloper Perasino have also been included in the Light Fingers Stakes field.
