Horse Racing

John O’Shea’s last start Chelmsford Stakes winner Complacent won’t run in Saturday’s Group 1 at Randwick Racecourse and instead leads the field for the Hill Stakes 2015 on George Main Stakes Day.

Chelmsford Stakes winner Complacent shoots for back-to-back Randwick wins in Saturday’s Hill Stakes 2015. Photo: Steve Hart.

Last Sydney Spring Racing Carnival the Chris Waller-trainer Sacred Falls backed up from a Chelmsford Stakes fourth to win the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m), but this year’s winner of the Group 2 lead-up Complacent shoots for back-to-back Randwick victories in the $200,000 Group 2 Ascend Sales Trophies Hill Stakes (2000m) over more distance instead.

The Authorized stallion has won two from three at the track to date and has won his only other 2000m win when taking out the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick as a three-year-old back in 2013.

He jumped as a 31/1 outsider in the Complacent Stakes second-up after a failed 12^th of 13 runners the run before in the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m) but is sure to be at much shorter odds for Saturday even with a wide barrier 13 draw in the capacity field.

A full 16 starters plus two emergencies are accepted for the Hill Stakes this spring, O’Shea also having the first spare Magic Hurricane in the mix who could instead run in the Newcastle Gold Cup on Friday.

The Hill Stakes field is dominated by Waller with a bumper nine chances including last year’s winner Junoob, the now eight-year-old suffering a big blow with barrier 17 (into 15).

Junoob is second-up this weekend on the back of a fifth in the Chelmsford Stakes.

Coming out of the same race for the Waller stable are: Sydney Cup runner-up Who Shot Thebarman (7^th), 2013 Doomben Cup winner Beaten Up (8^th), this year’s Doomben Cup third placegetter I’m Imposing (9^th), Hawkspur (11^th), Zabeel four-year-old Preferment (12^th) who was runner-up in the Rosehill Guineas during the autumn, Sydney Cup champ Grand Marshall (13^th) and Opinion (15^th) who beat home just one other runner first-up.

Waller’s other Hill Stakes hope in 2015 is veteran nine-year-old Foreteller coming off an unplaced Dato’ run in Melbourne.

Coming off better lead-up runs are the Robert Hickmott-trained Chance To Dance and Kapour for Caulfield horseman Ciaron Maher.

Drawn a treat in barrier four with Brenton Avdulla taking over for Craig Williams, Teofilo six-year-old Chance To Dance has had just the two runs down under for Team Williams since being imported from Europe and comes off a mile win at Moonee Valley from September 5.

Kapour is drawn one closer to the rail in gate three for top hoop Kerrin McEvoy, the fellow six-year-old having run third to Magic Hurricane in the Listed Premier’s Cup (1800m) at Rosehill on August 29 in his first run since a Grafton Cup second in early July.

Gai Waterhouse’s Grafton Cup winning import Bonfire is also among Saturday’s Hill Stakes acceptances, the Manduro seven-year-old having had two subsequent trials including a 1200m at Randwick earlier this month when third.

Bonfire jumps from gate seven this weekend, which will become barrier five is the emergencies fail to gain a run.

Waterhouse also accepted for her The Roses winner Bohemian Lily, the O’Reilly four-year-old the second emergency.

See below for the full Hill Stakes 2015 field, barriers, jockeys and weights.

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2015 Hill Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Randwikc Race 7 (4:25pm) – 19/09/2015