The early odds on the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained El Divino to win Saturday’s The Run To The Rose 2016 are set to firm after the undefeated colt came up trumps with barrier one for the Rosehill Gardens feature.

El Divino (centre) has drawn barrier one for Saturday’s 2016 The Run To The Rose at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Headlining the Sydney racing action of the weekend, this year’s $175,000 Group 2 MTA Run To The Rose (1200m) is scheduled to run as Rosehill Race 7 at 3:50pm (AEST) on the nine-race program.

A final field of 12 three-year-olds are in the mix including Snitzel colt El Divino who is set to get the rails run from gate one with Hugh Bowman in the saddle.

The up-and-comer has won both of his career starts to date most recently at Randwick on April 2 in the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m).

He has also twice trialled in Sydney since for a second and a third and Waterhouse is full of confidence ahead of the weekend’s return as El Divino tracks towards a September 10 run back at the track in the $1 million Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m).

In the latest pre-field Golden Rose Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au El Divino pays $11, a price sure to come right in if he is successful first-up in The Run To The Rose.

The shortest priced of the Run To The Rose hopefuls in the early markets for the Group 1 next month is Star Turn ($9).

Drawn in barrier five for Saturday with Tommy Berry booked for the ride, the Team Hawkes-trained son of Star Witness chases back-to-back wins this time in.

Twice Group 1 performed when fifth in the Blue Diamond in Melbourne and sixth in the Golden Slipper as a two-year-old, the colt resumed on August 13 at Rosehill and won the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) in an upset.

Berry rode him to victory that day from a similar barrier (six) and if successful this weekend Star Turn will complete the San Domenico – Run To The Rose double for the first time since Va Pensiero (2013).

The other headline Golden Rose-bound runner in the Group 2 this Saturday is the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Mediterranean who is also an $11 shot for the big one.

Team Snowden opted not to run the Smart Missile colt in last Saturday’s Group 3 Up And Coming Stakes (1300m), instead saving him for The Run To The Rose.

He is the stable’s best hope going into the Golden Rose now with the likely non-acceptance of Slipper winner Capitalist who things haven’t gone right for this time in.

Mediterranean was last seen running a close second as the beaten favourite in the Listed The Rosebud (1200m) in the mud at Randwick on April 6 and jumps from barrier nine this weekend with Blake Shinn retaining the ride.

Trainer John O’Shea and the Godolphin stable have a stranglehold over the Run To The Rose field numbers wise with three hopefuls led by Impending (barrier six).

The returning Lonhro colt hasn’t raced since early May when third to Royal Tithe at the Gold Coast in the Group 3 Ken Russell Memorial Classic (1200m).

He has had two subsequent trials, the latest of which saw him win over 1000m in a Warwick Farm hit-out on August 12.

Impending is being kept safe in early Golden Rose betting at $8 and is out to prove his potential first-up on the weekend.

O’Shea’s other runners are Kindergarten Stakes winning Medaglia D’Oro colt Astern in barrier three with James McDonald in the saddle and Canonbury Stakes winner from January Tessera one wider in four with Kathy O’Hara to ride.

See below for the full The Run To The Rose 2016 field, barriers and jockeys before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au for access to the spring’s best racing odds and offers.

2016 The Run To The Rose Final Field & Barrier Draw

Rosehill Race 7 (3:50pm) – 27/08/2016