The first Group 1 meeting of the year in Sydney will take place at Warwick Farm this Saturday March 5, the Chipping Norton Stakes Day programme headlined by three Group races including the $125,000 Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m).

The 2011 Liverpool City Cup field has attracted 17 quality runners and with a ballot exemption into the $2 million Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 16 on offer for the winner punters and racing fans can expect a thrilling showdown.

Top-rated entry in this year’s Liverpool City Cup is the Peter Snowden-trained Pinwheel after Chris Waller’s Triple Honour was not paid up for following nomination stage.

Drawn well midfield in barrier nine for Saturday, Lonhro five-year-old Pinwheel has the perfect form to win the Liverpool City Cup.

First-up for the season they scored a nice win in the Listed Canterbury Classic (1100m) before placing second behind Sister Madly last start in the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on February 12.

With Triple Honour out, leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller still has a strong presence in the Liverpool Cup with Danehill Dancer gelding Altered Boy (barrier 14) and Triple Elegance.

Mossman four-year-old Triple Elegance has come up trumps with the inside running from gate one on Saturday, the consistent galloper seeking back-to-back wins having scored in a 1500m race at Rosehill last start by an easy 6 ½ lengths on February 5.

Of the 17 Liverpool City Cup hopefuls Triple Elegance is the shortest-priced entry in the futures 2011 Doncaster Mile betting at a quote of $31 through Luxbet.

A win on Saturday will see Doncaster Mile odds shorten dramatically on Triple Elegance so if you fancy a nice early roughie bet now is the time to back them at Luxbet.

A number of the early fancies in the Liverpool City Cup have suffered a blow with wide barrier draws including:

• The Kerry Parker-trained Brilliant Light (barrier 15)
• Shamardal mare No Evidence Needed (barrier 17) who ran an eye-catching third behind More Joyous in the Breeders Classic first-up
• Flying Spur seven-year-old Mentality (barrier 16) resuming after a spell having run second in the Group 2 Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick last start on December 18

Quality sprinter News Alert is likely to get some attention from the punters in the Liverpool City Cup betting after drawing well with barrier six.

The Con Karakatsanis-trained six-year-old resumed with a seventh place finish in the Southern Cross Stakes after a tough run from the far outside barrier but showed improvement with a 1 ¼ length barrier trial win over 1030m at Rosehill on Tuesday morning.

News Alert is heading towards the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) at Randwick on April 16 before a trip to Queensland for the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival where his primary goal will be the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 11.

Other notable runners in the 2011 Liverpool City Cup field include:

• Graceful Anna (David Pfieffer) – Nice 54kg weight with Corey Brown in the mount, Canny Lad mare in great form having run second to More Joyous in the Group 2 Breeders Classic (1200m) at Randwick on February 12 and then just beaten on the line by Montana Flyer in the Group 3 Millie Fox (1300m) at Rosehill last Saturday
• Pureness (Gai Waterhouse) – Tale Of The Cat gelding coming off a third over 1200m at Rosehill when resuming on February 19, has a good record at Warwick Farm winning a 1300m here in September last year
• Ahdashim (Gerald Ryan) – Elusive City five-year-old won the Group 3 Standish Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on New Years’ Day and at their last-start ran a credible fourth in the Southern Cross Stakes, benefits from good barrier four draw for Saturday

The 2011 Liverpool City Cup is scheduled to run as Warwick Farm Race 7 on Saturday, jumping at 5:05pm (AEDST).

Earlier in the day Race 6 is the feature showdown on the card when a capacity field of stars contest the $350,000 Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at 4:26pm (AEDST).

Markets for the Liverpool City Cup are due to open at our favourite online bookmaker Luxbet shortly so sign up now to get in on the Sydney Autumn Carnival racing and betting action!

2011 Liverpool City Cup Field, Barriers & Weights

#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight (kg)	Hcp. Rating
1	PINWHEEL	Peter Snowden	–	9	57.5	105
2	NEWS ALERT	Con Karakatsanis	Nash Rawiller	6	57	104
3	BRILLIANT LIGHT	Kerry Parker	Tim Clark	15	56.5	103
4	NO EVIDENCE NEEDED	John P Thompson	Jamie Mott	17	55	104
5	AHDASHIM (NZ)	Gerald Ryan	Joshua Parr	4	55	100
6	GRACEFUL ANNA	David Pfieffer	Corey Brown	10	54	102
7	ALTERED BOY	Chris Waller	–	14	53.5	97
8	EGO’S DARE	Gerald Ryan	Nathan Berry (a)	13	53.5	97
9	MENTALITY	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Josh Adams (a)	16	53.5	97
10	AVIENUS	Mark Webb	Kane Bradley	8	53	100
11	TRIPLE ELEGANCE	Chris Waller	–	1	53	96
12	INFORMALITY	John O’Shea	Brenton Avdulla	11	53	94
13	KEEPIN’ THE DREAM (NZ)	Jim & Greg Lee	Peter Wells	7	53	93
14	MADIBAGOLD	David Payne	–	2	53	93
15	PURENESS	Gai Waterhouse	Tommy Berry (a)	12	53	87
16	SHADOWS IN THE SUN	Anthony Cummings	Kathy O’Hara	5	53	80
17	QUICK PEEK	Anthony Cummings	Rod Quinn	3	53	75

Photo courtesy (c) Taron Clarke Photography