Once again the Ranvet Stakes 2017 field has attracted less than half the capacity number of acceptors with the hot favourite Hartnell facing just the seven rivals at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Hartnell is the horse to beat in a small 2017 Ranvet Stakes field at Rosehill Racecourse on Slipper Day. Photo: Steve Hart.

Scheduled to run as Race 4 at 2:05pm (AEDT) on Golden Slipper Stakes Day, the $700,000 Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) has drawn a field of eight.

Capacity in the weight-for-age showdown is eighteen, but four of the past six editions of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes lead-up have run with under ten starters.

John O’Shea’s gallant import Hartnell finally gets the chance to post another Group 1 win in a field without Winx.

Chasing his first victory since the Turnbull Stakes over this distance in Melbourne over the spring, the Authorized six-year-old has been terrorised by the best in the business both starts this time in.

The latest saw him beaten nine lengths when eighth to Winx, who backs up in the George Ryder Stakes on Saturday, in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) on February 25.

Hartnell will appreciate the extra distance third-up on Saturday as O’Shea chases his second Ranvet Stakes success in three years after the victory of Contributer in 2015.

In-form English jockey William Buick has the mount on Hartnell in the Ranvet Stakes on Saturday from barrier six, which last produced a winner back in 2007 with Desert War (2007).

Four of the past five Ranvet Stakes winners ran either first or second in their lead-up run and the only horse that fits the brief in that department this year is the Chris Waller-trained Antonio Giuseppe.

Tracking towards a run in the $2 million Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) over the two miles at Randwick on April 8, the four-year-old son of Shocking is accepted for a quick seven day back-up.

Runner-up in the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) in Sydney last October, Antonio Giuseppe won first-up before his second as the beaten odds-on favourite last Saturday in Rosehill’s Group 3 Sky High Stakes (2000m).

The Kiwi import was beaten over three lengths by the runaway winner Tavago and gets the chance to atone at the same track and distance this weekend.

Waller, who prepared the 2013 Ranvet Stakes winner Foreteller, has two acceptors in the race this year with Antonio Giuseppe to be joined by Preferment in barrier four with Hugh Bowman riding.

Five-year-old Zabeel stallion Preferment is a four-time Group 1 winner, but hasn’t been first past the post in any race since his The BMW success last Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

His latest run saw him run last to star stablemate Winx in the Chipping Norton on a Heavy (9) track and he will be better if the rain stays away for his weekend run.

The rails run in the Ranvet Stakes field 2017 belongs to the in-form Darren Weir-trained Stratum Star.

Jockey Damian Lane is back on the five-year-old for the first time since the Magic Millions Trophy (2200m) win on the Gold Coast in mid-January.

That followed a Kingston Town Classic Group 1 win in Perth with Lane aboard the month before, and Stratum Star went on to also win the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) with Mark Zahra riding on Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes Day.

Zahra also rode Stratum Star for his brave fourth under two lengths off his winning stablemate Humidor in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington last Saturday that the horse is out to improve on this weekend in Sydney.

See below for the full Ranvet Stakes 2017 field, barriers and jockeys with updated markets now open at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2017 Ranvet Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Rosehill Race 4 (2:05pm) – 18/03/2017