The 2016 Expressway Stakes field has been release and eight horses are set to contest the Group 2 event at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Our Boy Malachi has not been seen at the races since he suffered a bleeding attack when he finished at the tail of the field in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1350m) on May 23, but he showed that he was ready for a return to racing when he performed well in two barrier trials at Rosehill Gardens on January 19 and Warwick Farm a week later.
The Top Echelon gelding has an outstanding fresh record and he has not suffered a first-up defeat since he finished second when he made his racing debut in Mackay in May of 2011.
The majority of the Expressway Stakes field are set to make their first appearance at the races in 2016 and Tiger Tees, Generalife, Forget and Solicit are also set to start their autumn campaigns in the $200,000 race.
Generalife failed to record a race win during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival, but he finished a close second behind Famous Seamus in the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1300m) at Sandown on November 14, while Tiger Tees has not been seen at the races since he failed to fire in the Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 7.
Forget went to another level for Kim Waugh during his spring campaign and will make his first appearance at the races since he took out the Group 3 Cameron Handicap.
He is joined as a last start winner by talented mare Solicit, who finished her spring preparation with a dominant victory in the Group 3 Summoned Stakes (1500m) at Sandown on November 14.
Gerald Ryan is the only trainer that will have multiple runners in the Expressway Stakes field and Solicit is joined in the race by stablemate King’s Troop.
King’s Troop returned to the races with a fourth place finish behind Rule The River in the ATC Farewells A Thomas Handicap (1000m) at Royal Randwick on Boxing Day and he was slightly disappointing when eighth in the Magic Millions Sprint (1100m) at the Gold Coast on January 9.
The Expressway Stakes field is rounded out by Rod Northam-trained Big Money, who returned to the races with a third place finish behind Boss Lane and Gojo Mimo in the Summer Sprint (1000m) at Royal Randwick on January 16.
Notable winners of the Expressway Stakes include Saintly (1996), Tie The Knot (2001), Lonhro (2003), Mentality (2007), Rain Affair (2012), Appearance (2014) and Weary (2015).