John O’Shea’s Group 1 winning English import Contributer headlines the nominations for the Group 1 $500,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Contributer headlines the nominations for the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Contributer is one of ten horses nominated for the Ranvet Stakes and showed that he will be the horse to beat again after a dominant performance to win the Group 1 $500,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm on February 28.
The Chipping Norton Stakes win was Contributer’s second this campaign after scoring an impressive first up win in the Group 2 $250,000 Optus Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on February 14.
The step up to 2000m looks ideal for the High Chaparral stallion who scored over that distance when he won the Group 3 $150,000 David Jones Cup at Caulfield during the 2014 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Premiership winning trainer Chris Waller has nominated three for the Ranvet Stakes, Foreteller, He’s Your Man and Hawkspur.
Epsom Handicap winner He’s Your Man is fitter for two runs from a spell and was only beaten three quarters of a length when third to Contributer in the Chipping Norton Stakes and will also be suited by the step up in distance.
Hawkspur put in his best run for a long time when he hit the line hard to finish third to Hartnell in the Group 3 $150,000 Sky High Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill last Saturday and gets his chance to step up again.
Old stager Foreteller is struggling to find his best form and was beaten just over five lengths on the weekend when ninth to Spillway in the Group 1 $1m Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington.
Silent Achiever is another who will appreciate the 2000m at this stage of her preparation following a fourth to Contributer in the Chipping Norton Stakes while the Kris Lees trained Lucia Valentina has failed to threaten at her two runs back from a spell.
First up Lucia Valentina was beaten two lengths when fourth in the Apollo Stakes then was always well back in the field when ninth in the Chipping Norton Stakes.
Japanese galloper Tosen Stardom is also nominated for the Ranvet Stakes and comes to Australia following his win in the Group 3 $800,000 Challenge Cup (1800m) at Hanshin in Japan on December 13, 2014.
Tommy Berry has taken the ride on Tosen Stardom and was pleased with the way the four year galloped at Canterbury last week.
“He showed a nice turn of foot, which is what I expected looking at his replays,” Berry said.
“He races a lot like Admire Rakti in that he’ll settle off the pace and be storming late to the line.
“I don’t think he wants further than 2000m and that seems his best distance.”
Nominations for the Ranvet Stakes have been extended until 11am local time on Tuesday, March 17, 2015.
