Sydney’s first Group race of the new season is the Missile Stakes 2016 this Saturday at Randwick Racecourse that has attracted just seven early entries.

Capitalist is the stand-out among only seven 2016 Missile Stakes nominees for Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Despite being the opening feature race of the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival, this season’s $175,000 Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) will run well under its capacity 18-starter field with the addition of gun youngster Capitalist seemingly scaring off would-be rivals.

The Peter & Paul Snowden-trained super star makes his three-year-old and weight-for-age debut in the Missile Stakes on way to a run back against his own age in the $1 million Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on September 10.

The gun Written Tycoon colt is best known for his last start victory in the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) on March 19, the form of which was franked when runner-up Yankee Rose went on to win the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) during Sydney’s ‘The Championships’.

Capitalist has won two recent Randwick trials over 850m with Kerrin McEvoy aboard, McEvoy retaining the ride on the 51.5kg light weight in Saturday’s weight-for-age.

His mount will be the first three-year-old Missile Stakes runner since Dance Hero (2005) who beat home fellow three-year-old Snippetson in the race 11 years ago.

Capitalist’s closest rival age-wise on Saturday should they accept are stablemate Tycoon Tara, who hasn’t won a race since November last year, and fellow six-year-old Wouldn’t It Be Nice for Newcastle’s Paul Perry.

Choisir gelding Wouldn’t It Be Nice has had 20 previous Randwick starts for three wins and three thirds and was last seen finishing second to Redzel in Canterbury’s July Sprint (1100m) in the mud on July 23.

Along with sure-to-be-favourite, the other last start winner among the Missile Stakes nominations is the John Sargent-trained Smart Volatility.

The imported eight-year-old from Hong Kong has had two previous Australian starts including his Listed Ramornie Handicap (1200m) win at Grafton on July 13.

The veteran won a subsequent Randwick trial on July 29 with Tye Angland in the saddle, Angland to ride him again this Saturday although not likely in the Missile Stakes.

Smart Volatility will also be entered for a Melbourne run down the Flemington straight and is set to accept for the Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) over the Missile in Sydney.

Ramornie Handicap runner-up Big Money though is set for the Missile Stakes, Rodney Northam’s Scone-based Choisir seven-year-old beaten a nose last time out when chasing his first win since the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) at Randwick back in mid-February.

Rounding out the diminutive Missile Stakes entries are fellow seven-year-olds Generalife and Rebel Dane both also down to run first-up in the Group 2.

John O’Shea trains Godolphin’s Lonhro gelding Generalife whose latest run was a Group 2 Ajax Stakes (1500m) fifth behind It’s Somewhat on March 12, while Rebel Dane is prepared by Gary Portelli and was last seen running fourth to English in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) on April 16.

See below for the full Missile Stakes 2016 nominations, the field and barriers out on Wednesday followed by betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au – home of Odds Boost!

2016 Missile Stakes Nominations

Randwick Racecourse – 06/08/2016