A small but select field of eight talented three-year-olds have been included in the acceptances for the 2015 Eskimo Prince Stakes that will be held at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Scissor Kick is set to return to the races in the 2015 Eskimo Prince Stakes at Rosehill Gardens this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
Scissor Kick (barrier four) will carry the equal top weight of 58 and a half kilograms in the Eskimo Prince Stakes and will be returning to the races for the first time since he finished ninth in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on November 1.
The Redoute’s Choice colt started his 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with three straight wins in the More Than Ready Handicap (1250m), Listed The Rosebud (1200m) and Group 3 Up And Coming Stakes (1300m) before he finished a luckless second in both the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) and the Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m).
Leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller has included three horses in the 2015 Eskimo Prince Stakes field and his charges are led by the highly progressive colt Kermadec.
Kermadec (barrier six) made his racing debut with a win at Warwick Farm on September 28 last year and finished an unlucky second at Royal Randwick on October 18 before he stamped himself as a colt to watch when he scored a narrow win in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on November 1.
The Teofilo colt will be joined in the Eskimo Prince Stakes by stablemates Delectation and Harrier Jet.
Delectation (barrier seven) did not record a race win during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival, but he produced consistent performances in both the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 4 and the Listed Brian Crowley Stakes (1200m) on October 18 before he finished a most impressive second behind stablemate Brazen Beau at big odds in the Coolmore Stud Stakes.
Harrier Jet (barrier one) will be making his debut at Group level in the Eskimo Prince Stakes and will have a clear fitness edge over his rivals after having four race starts since returned to racing on November 29.
One of the most interesting runners in the 2015 Eskimo Prince Stakes is Team Snowden-trained Diamond Valores, who remains a chance of making the trip to Melbourne for the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 7.
Diamond Valores (barrier eight) finished a strong second behind the talented Sweynesse in the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 27 and showed that he had gone forward from his spring campaign when he produced a very smart barrier trial performance at Royal Randwick on January 15.
Godolphin colt Meursault (barrier two), consistent galloper Inz’N’Out (barrier five) and David Payne-trained Bold Circle (barrier three) round out the 2015 Eskimo Prince Stakes field.
