Racing NSW have announced the official Summer Cup 2017 field for the Boxing Day race feature next Tuesday and the line-up features two previous winners of the Royal Randwick clash.

2015 champ Mighty Lucky is back contesting the Summer Cup 2017 field this Boxing Day at Royal Randwick. Photo: Daniel Costello.

A dozen final acceptors are in the mix for this season’s Group 3 $150,000 Summer Cup (2000m) including the defending champion Red Excitement and the 2015 winner Mighty Lucky.

Twelve months ago the Gerald Ryan-trained Excites gelding Red Excitement backed-up off a Group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m) third to win the Summer Cup by a runaway three lengths.

He was third in this year’s Festival Stakes results also, before crossing under two and a half lengths back seventh in a mid-field finish in last weekend’s Group 2 Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.

Red Excitement gets the chance to go back-to-back in the Summer Cup and return to winning form for the first time since January’s Gosford Cup jumping from barrier three with Brenton Avdulla on 57.5kg.

Mighty Lucky meanwhile is in gate eight with Chris O’Brien booked to ride the Fred Cowell-trained fellow eight-year-old.

The past three runs from the bay gelding have produced brave fourth place efforts including being just a length beaten in the Festival Stakes and three quarters of a length off the winner Crack Me Up in the Villiers Stakes.

A veteran of 57 starts, the evergreen Mighty Lucky hasn’t won a race since May of 2016 in Brisbane and carries 55kg in this season’s Summer Cup field having carried 56kg to victory in the event two years back.

Just one last start winner is engaged for the Summer Cup in 2017 with the in-form Richard Litt-trained Ashkannd in the outside barrier (12 of 12).

The French-bred seven-year-old won at Canterbury over 1900m at the start of the month before saluting again in the wet at Warwick Farm just five days later over 2200m.

Dropping three kilos to the 53kg minimum next Tuesday, Ashkannd is out to make it three on the trot and has had a few weeks between runs looking to get him ready for the drop back in distance to 2000m.

At the opposite end of the weight scale with 59kg meanwhile is the Joe Pride-trained Destiny’s Kiss, a rising 10-year-old still showing a zest for racing.

The son of Power Of Destiny won at Randwick over the mile and a half back in October’s Listed Tattersall’s Cup (2400m) carrying 60kg to victory.

Things went amiss first-up in the Villiers Stakes over the mile however when Destiny’s Kiss, a $101 roughie in the markets, finished seven lengths back last.

The weight works against him on Tuesday, but the step-up in distance will suit.

Bringing better lead-up form into the race is Gary Portelli’s recent Festival Stakes winner Testashadow who comes off a sixth in the Villiers Stakes.

The Testa Rossa six-year-old was only one and a half lengths off the Brisbane-trained winner and will be looking for a clear run from gate four extending out over more metres in the Summer Cup.

See below for the full Summer Cup 2017 field, barriers, jockeys and weights with Boxing Day racing odds to open shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2017 Summer Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw

Randwick Race 6 (4:10pm) – 26/12/2017