A diminutive field of just five potential Golden Slipper Stakes horses is engaged for Saturday’s Canonbury Stakes 2018 including second favourite for the upcoming Group 1 classic Performer.

2018 Golden Slipper Stakes second elect Performer races in the Canonbury Stakes field this weekend at Rosehill Gardens. Photo: Steve Hart.

Jumping at 1:25pm (AEDT) as Rosehill Race 2 on Expressway Stakes Day this weekend, the Group 3 $150,000 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) is open to two-year-old colts and geldings.

Unlike the fillies’ equivalent, the 2018 Widden Stakes field features 13 hopefuls, it seems the Chris Waller-trained Exceed And Excel colt Performer has scared off the bulk of his rivals in the Canonbury.

Performer is heading towards the lucrative Group 1 $3.5 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) back at Rosehill Gardens on March 24 and is already well-fancied in pre-field markets for the world’s richest race for juveniles.

Magic Millions Classic winner Sunlight leads all-in Golden Slipper odds at $6.50 through Ladbrokes.com.au, but Performer is hot on her heels as the $8 second elect.

On debut back in late September at Randwick the chestnut enjoyed a three-quarter length victory over Bondi in the Listed Breeders’ Plate (1000m).

Saturday sees him race for the first time since, Performer brought on fitness wise with two January trials at the Rosehill track for two winning hit-outs.

He jumps from gate three with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle on the weekend and looks the youngster to beat in the Canonbury Stakes.

Last year’s Golden Slipper winning trainer with She Will Reign, Gary Portelli is dually represented in the small Canonbury Stakes field this autumn saddling-up Dio D’Oro and Exceltic in barriers four and two respectively.

Jason Collett rides $101 Slipper roughie Dio D’Oro, the Medaglia D’Oro colt having finished four lengths back second to gun filly Estijaab on January 20 at Randwick over 1000m on debut.

Exceltic meanwhile is better fancied in futures Golden Slipper odds paying $26 ahead of his maiden career start on Saturday.

The Excelebration colt has been to the trials three times for three wins, the latest over 797m at Warwick Farm in mid-January and is tipped to bring that hit-out form to the races this weekend.

Along with Performer and Dio D’Oro the other non-debutant in the mix is the Edward O’Rourke-trained Catanzaro.

A well-bred So You Think colt, the bay had two Sydney runs over the spring finishing out of the money both times and ran fifth just 1.3 lengths off Performer in a recent Rosehill trial from January 22.

Rounding out the Canonbury Stakes field of potential Golden Slipper runners is then the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Stratosphere with the rails run from barrier one.

Glyn Schofield rides the son of Snitzel who has also trialled three times ahead of his debut, the latest a fifth at Randwick on January 29 over 1050m behind black-type winning Pierro filly Satin Slipper with Schofield in the saddle.

See below for the complete Canonbury Stakes 2018 field and barriers with markets on the Rosehill races this Saturday and all-in Group 1 Golden Slipper markets available now through Ladbrokes.com.au.

2018 Canonbury Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Rosehill Race 2 (1:25pm) – 03/02/2018