The John Thompson trained First Seal is the highest rated filly among the twenty nominations for the Group 1 $400,000 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

First Seal is the highest rated filly in the Vinery Stud Stakes’ nominations. Photo by Steve Hart.

First Seal carries a rating of 107 ahead of the Group 1 Crown Oaks winner Set Square at 102 and Chris Waller’s Group 1 Thousand Guineas winner Amicus at 100.

Waller has also nominated last start Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes winner Winx, Group 3 Keith Nolan Classic runner-up Wine Tales and restricted class winner Ballet Suite.

First Seal has had mixed results from her three runs from a spell with a win and two seconds to start off her Autumn Carnival campaign.

Jockey Blake Shinn was aboard the Fastnet Rock filly at her three recent runs but has been replaced by James McDonald for the Vinery Stud Stakes following her second as odds on favourite to the Peter Moody trained Plucky Belle in the Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) for the fillies and mares at Rosehill on March 14.

Thompson is pleased with the way First Seal has recovered from her tough run against the older mares and expects her to bounce back against the fillies on Saturday.

“She has come through the race very well,” Thompson told RSN.

“She just did it a little tough there, the early effort told in the finish. I’ll probably say the winner didn’t go past her, she probably stopped.”

First Seal was also beaten first-up when one of the top fancied when second to the outsider of field, the Gai Waterhouse trained Adrift, in the Group 2 $175,000 Liberty International Underwriters Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on February 14.

She redeemed herself at her next start easily beating Supara and Slightly Sweet in the Group 2 $175,000 Surround Stakes (1400m) at Warwick Farm on February 28.

Adrift and the Jason Coyle trained Slightly Sweet are also nominated for the Vinery Stud Stakes.

Slightly Sweet continues to improve and scored a narrow victory over Wine Tales in the Group 3 $200,000 The Illawarra Mercury Keith F Nolan Classic (1600m) at Kembla Grange on March 13.

Team Hawkes have nominated Maastricht who will be returning from Melbourne after running third to Chill Party in the Group 2 $200,000 William Hill Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) at Moonee Valley on March 20.

Zarzali is the sole filly nominated from the Bart and James Cummings stable and will be stepping up sharply in grade after scoring a four lengths win in a 2400m Kembla Grange Class 1 on February 28.