Exosphere, Japonisme, Press Statement, Pride Of Dubai and Vanbrugh are all set to contest the opening barrier trial over 800 metres at Warwick Farm on Monday morning.
Exosphere is one of a number of Group 1 winners that is set to trial at Warwick Farm on Monday. Photo by: Steve Hart
Chris Waller took out three of the Group 1 events for three-year-olds during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival and Japonisme, Press Statement and Vanbrugh are all set to continue the build-up to their autumn campaigns.
Japonisme was beaten by Exosphere in both the Group 2 Run To The Rose Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on August 29 and the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 3, but he turned-the-tables on his rival with an impressive performance in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on October 31.
Press Statement stamped himself as the best three-year-old miler in Australia when he took out both the Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 26 and the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 10, while Vanbrugh beat a lacklustre field to take out the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on the same day.
The Group 1 winning trio are joined in the barrier trial by stablemates Counterattack, Hursley and Metallic Crown.
Exosphere may have been beaten in the Coolmore Stud Stakes, but his performances in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) and Roman Consul Stakes showed that he is right up there with the best three-year-olds in the country.
The Lonhro colt is set to return to the races in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on February 21 before he presses on to the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at the same venue three weeks later.
Godolphin also have Victoria Derby runner-up Etymology in the nominations for the barrier trial.
The final Group 1 winner set to contest the star-studded barrier trial is Team Snowden-trained Pride Of Dubai, who scored an impressive win in a barrier trial over 838 metres at Royal Randwick on January 12.
Pride Of Dubai has not been seen at the races since he took out the Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) during The Championships last year, but his barrier trial performance showed that he is almost ready for his racing return.
The second barrier trial of the morning is also packed full of quality, highlighted by Chris Waller-trained Delectation.
Delectation has not been seen at the races since his upset win in the Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival last year and he is joined by stablemate Catkins, while the likes of Craftiness, Dublin Lass, Leebaz and Our Boy Malachi are set to contest the trial.
