The 2016 Hobartville Stakes field has been released and Press Statement is set to return to the races in the Group 2 event at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Press Statement will make his first appearance at the races since he took out the 2016 Caulfield Guineas. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos
Press Statement has not been seen at the races since he led from start to finish to take out the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 10, but he showed that he was ready for a return to the races when he performed well in two barrier trials at Royal Randwick on January 12 and Warwick Farm on January 25.
Chris Waller has big plans for Press Statement during the 2016 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival and he is set to contest the Group 1 Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) and Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) before potentially pressing on to the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) and Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m).
Press Statement is joined in the Hobartville Stakes field by Vanbrugh, who has not been seen at the races since he took out the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on October 10.
Vanbrugh was scratched from the Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield last weekend, but he is still likely to head to Melbourne for the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) to avoid a Group 1 clash with Press Statement.
The Waller trio in the Hobartville Stakes field is Torgersen, who failed to fire in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on February 6.
Another trainer with multiple runners in the 2016 Hobartville Stakes field is John O’Shea, who is set to have Etymology, Shards and Tarquin in the Group 2 event.
Shards and Tarquin are both set to back-up from the Hobartville Stakes, while Etymology will make his first appearance at the races since he finished second behind Tarzino in the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m).
The Eskimo Prince Stakes is always the key lead-up race to the Hobartville Stakes and Gerald Ryan-trained Spill The Beans will have the opportunity to complete the double this weekend.
Spill The Beans produced a career best performance to take out the Eskimo Prince Stakes and he is set to step-up to 400 metres for the first time in his racing career.
The other horse that is set to take winning form into the Hobartville Stakes is Anthony Cummings-trained Montaigne, who claimed back-to-back victories in the More Than Just Winning Maiden (1400m) at Warwick Farm on January 20 and the Colin Tidy Tribute Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick on February 6.
Kiwi galloper Dal Cielo, Team Snowden-trained Wolf Cry, Queensland hopeful Too Good To Refuse, Kris Lees-trained Le Romain and Les Bridge-trained Balmain Boy.
