Godolphin’s English import Contributer will only have to fight off six challengers in the Group 1 $500,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Contributer will face a small field in the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
The Chris Waller trained He’s Your Man and Kris Lees’ Lucia Valentina are locals while the remainder of the seven horses field are from overseas.
Regular Carnival visitor Silent Achiever could almost be claimed as an Aussie due to her frequent crossings of the Tasman Sea and is joined by fellow Kiwi galloper Fast Dragon from the Bruce Wallace stable.
Japan will be represented by Tosen Stardom, trained by Yasutoshi Ikee and the John Moore trained Dominant is a Group 1 winner in Hong Kong.
The John O’Shea trained Contributer has drawn barrier five in the seven horse field and will have James McDonald on board again after the pair combined to win the Group 2 $250,000 Optus Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on February 14 and the Group 1 $500,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm on February 28.
Contributer always had the Chipping Norton Stakes in his keeping and looks the one to beat again stepping up to 2000m, a distance that the High Chaparral stallion had won over four times.
Cambridge trainer Roger James is also expecting his mare Silent Achiever to appreciate the step up to 2000m after running fifth in the Apollo Stakes and then fourth in the Chipping Norton Stakes, both times behind Contributer, and gives her a great chance of defending her 2014 Ranvet Stakes victory.
“She is getting to her right range of distances and I think she has had a good build-up,” James told Racing Ahead.
“I thought they have been very good runs and as good as you would expect over the distances against top company.
“I think that she was 1.2 lengths from the winner over the mile in the Chipping Norton and that is really about her level at that distance and no doubt the bigger tracks help her better as well.
“She is a realistic winning chance, but the further she goes the better she gets as well.
“We are in it to win it, but it is not going to be desperation stakes if we don’t because we know that when we go further we go better.”
Kerrin McEvoy rode Silent Achiever in her two runs this campaign and is back in the saddle again on Saturday and will jump from barrier six.
He’s Your Man and Lucia Valentina both finished behind Contributer at their latest outings in the Chipping Norton Stakes and both will have no problems stepping up in distance.
He’s Your Man was beaten three quarters of a length when third last start and has drawn the outside of the field with Blake Shinn retaining the ride.
Lucia Valentina showed that she is looking for the longer journey after making up ground from the back when fourth at Warwick Farm and has drawn barrier two with Hugh Bowman on top again.
Brenton Avdulla has picked up the ride on Fast Dragon (barrier 4) who comes to Australia following his fifth to Sakhee’s Soldier in the Group 1 NZ$200,000 Ronald McDonald House Charities New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on March 7.
Damien Oliver rides the Hong Kong galloper Dominant (barrier 3) while Tommy Berry will partner the Japanese horse Tosen Stardom who has drawn the rails.
Tosen Stardom comes to Sydney as a last start winner in the Group 3 $800,000 Challenge Cup (1800m) at Hanshin in Japan on December 13.
