Chris Waller’s Group 1 winning three year olds Press Statement and Vanbrugh headline the nominations for the Group 2 $400,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Caulfield Guineas winner Press Statement, above, headlines the nominations for the Hobarville Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

The nineteen entrants for the Hobartville Stakes also includes three other Waller trained three year olds, Counterattack, Torgersen and Dubaiinstyle.

Press Statement will be having his first run back since winning the Group 1 $1m BECK Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 10 and will be getting warned up for a lucrative Sydney Autumn Carnival.

The Group 1 $1m Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick on March 5, and the weight for age Group 1 $600,000 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 16 are high on the agenda.

The Randwick Guineas is also on Vanbrugh’s Autumn Carnival program before he lines up in the Group 1 $600,000 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill on March 19.

Vanbrugh was due to run in the Group 2 $200,000 Hyland Race Colours Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield last Saturday, but Waller scratched him and decided to keep the Encosta De Lago colt in Sydney to kick off his Autumn campaign.

“I would like to keep him in Sydney. I think he is going well. Rosehill Guineas is his race,” Waller said.

Vanbrugh worked his way up through the classes during the Sydney Spring Carnival and completed a hat trick of wins with a victory in the Group 1 $500,000 Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick in October last year.

Counterattack has had one run back from a spell for a third behind Spill The Beans and Le Romain in the Group 3 $150,000 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on February 6.

The Gerald Ryan trained Spill The Beans and Le Romain from the Kris Lees stable are also among the nominations for the Hobartville Stakes.

Trainer John O’Shea has nominated three for the Hobartville Stakes, Etymology, Shards and Tarquin.

Etymology will be having his first start since running second to Tarzino in the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on October 31 and will be better suited over more ground as he heads towards the Group 1 $2m BMW Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 2, the first day of ’The Championships’.

While Shards and Tarquin both have had one run back, finishing fourth and eleventh in the Eskimo Prince Stakes.

New Zealand trainer Murray Baker has nominated Sandown Guineas runner up Dal Cielo while Queensland will be represented in the Hobartville Stakes by the Desleigh Forster trained Too Good To Refuse.

Hobartville Stakes nominations: Press Statement, Vanbrugh, Etymology, Counterattack, Dal Cielo, Shards, Wolf Cry, Tarquin, Spill The Beans, Torgersen, Too Good To Refuse,  Man Of Choice, Le Romain, Montaigne, Tulsa, Tivaci, Balmain Boy, Data Point, Dubaiinstyle.