The winter’s Queensland Guineas winner Salsonic is out to break his four-year-old maiden status third-up as a roughie hope in 2017 Festival Stakes betting in Sydney on the weekend.

Salsonic is a roughie chance in 2017 Festival Stakes betting at Rosehill on Saturday to salute for the first time since the winter’s Queensland Guineas. Photo: Steve Hart.

Jason Coyle’s well-bred son of Hinchinbrook rounded out his three-year-old season at Doomben back in June with an upset victory in the Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) making up all the late ground from the back of the field.

On Saturday he is out to atone for two unplaced Sydney runs during the spring, lining-up at Rosehill Gardens in the Group 3 $150,000 Festival Stakes (1500m).

Drawn barrier eight in the 10 horse Festival Stakes field following the early scratching of Chalk (9), Salsonic carries the 53kg lightweight with Peter Wells coming on for the ride.

Last time out Salsonic ran five and a quarter lengths back sixth behind the flying Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Cabeza De Vaca in the November Handicap (1400m) at the Rosehill track.

Cabeza De Vaca rises from 54kg that win to 57kg on Saturday chasing win number six on the trot and is the short-priced $2.60 favourite in Festival Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au.

Salsonic meanwhile is the $26 outsider in the Festival Stakes odds, but Coyle believes the horse can be more competitive if he gets the speed to suit.

“It was probably a forgive run first-up and then he was in a race that wasn’t run to suit,” the Warwick Farm-based trainer told AAP on Wednesday.

“He really needs to get into a race with a few more runners in it and some sort of tempo engaged so they’re not sprinting from the 600.

“He likes to build a bit of momentum and he does his best work inside the furlong when they’re coming back a bit.

“Hopefully they don’t just let it (Cabeza De Vaca) have a cakewalk for the first half of the race before it puts the foot down.”

If all goes well on the weekend, Salsonic will head to Royal Randwick fourth-up on December 16 for a shot at the Group 2 $250,000 Villiers Stakes (1600m) back out over a mile.

“Hopefully we can find a bigger field in the Villiers with a more genuine tempo and he’d be 110 per cent on the day,” he said.

Along with Salsonic’s last start conqueror Cabeza De Vaca, the other best in Festival Stakes betting this weekend are Godolphin-raced Federal ($5) and early market mover Mister Sea Wolf ($8 into $6) drawn in barriers three and four respectively.

Federal comes off a November Handicap third and is down two kilos getting into the Festival Stakes on 55.5kg, while the Chris Waller-trained import Mr Sea Wolf is well-fancied to strike first-up down under after a strong Rosehill trial on November 24.

Check out the latest Festival Stakes 2017 odds online and back your early Sydney racing tips at the right price now through Ladbrokes.com.au.