Former top two year old Jukebox has drawn barrier six a small eight horse field for the 2018 Group 3 $150,000 Ladbrokes Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Premiership leader Craig Williams has ridden Jukebox in all of his six race starts to date and will continue his association with the Ciaron Maher trained three year old in this weekend’s weight for age sprint.

Williams was back on board Jukebox last week in a jump out at his home track at Caulfield and Maher is happy with the way the Snitzel colt has prepared for his comeback, his first start since finishing fourteenth to Merchant Navy in the Group 1 $1m Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on the first day of the 2017 Melbourne Cup Carnival in November.

“He has had two jump outs now, his last one was last Tuesday here on the course proper and Craig rode him and he went quite well,” Maher told racing.com.

Maher tested Jukebox in an 800m Cranbourne barrier trial, which he won, on May 7 and has since freshened him up for two Winter races, Saturday’s Sir John Monash Stakes and the Group 3 $150,000 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on July 28.

“He has come up quite well. He had a trial at Cranbourne and showed that he had come back really well and that is what I wanted to see,” Maher said.

“We got him ready just at an odd time of the year just to see how he was and he smoked up pretty well.

“We have just given him a freshen up and set him for these two races, the Sir John Monash and the Bletchingly.”

“He had another slick gallop here this morning (Tuesday) on the course proper just to tighten him up a little bit more and I think he is coming together really really well.”

“He has got good form here, the 1100m should be no problem. He seems nice and sharp and well and he is right to go on Saturday.”

Maher was happy with the way Jukebox pulled up after a slick hit out on Tuesday morning and will give him another easy gallop on Thursday in preparation for his return to the race track.

“He pulled up pretty well this morning (Tuesday) and will head down the beach on Wednesday and do another little piece of work on Thursday and he will be right to go.”

Victoria’s leading trainer Darren Weir will saddle up two runners in the Sir John Monash Stakes, Voodoo Lad with Brad Rawiller to ride from barrier five, and Ducimus who will jump from the outside gate with Dean Yendall holding the reins.

The Symon Wilde trained Inn Keeper will be chasing his fifth win on the trot and Linda Meech will be able to give the four year old the run of the race from the inside gate.

Inn Keeper has worked his way up through the grades with three wins in restricted class at Terang, Warrnambool and Caulfield before his last start win in the $100,000 Golden Topaz (1200m) at Swan Hill on June 8.

The Mat Ellerton and Simon Zahra trained Crystal Dreamer has drawn barrier seven for Damian Lane and the five year old will be having his first run back since finishing third to Secret Agenda in the Listed $120,000 ATA/Bob Hoysted Handicap (1000m) at Flemington on March 3.

Final field for the 2018 Ladbrokes Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m)

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Hcp Rating
1	257x145x00	VOODOO LAD	Darren Weir	Brad Rawiller	5	58.5kg	107
2	x39621143x	CRYSTAL DREAMER	Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra	Damian Lane	7	58.5kg	103
3	19x7231x65	SUNDAY ESCAPE	Andrew Murray	Dwayne Dunn	4	58.5kg	92
4	77×3133221	ASHLOR	Dan McCarthy	Jamie Mott	2	58.5kg	94
5	111x6x1111	INN KEEPER	Symon Wilde	Ms Linda Meech	1	58.5kg	92
6	11x1220x	JUKEBOX	Ciaron Maher	Craig Williams	6	58kg	90
7	12x54x4x28	DUCIMUS	Darren Weir	Dean Yendall	8	58kg	73
8	3431322×11	SHOWPERO	Wayne Francis & Glen Kent	Stephen Baster	3	56.5kg	85