Two of the country’s top three-year-olds will face off in the ultimate battle of the sexes with Manawanui and Mosheen to face off in the 2012 Randwick Guineas field at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Manawanui will be out to atone for his two first-up losses in the 2012 Randwick Guineas this Saturday

There were a total of 17 horses accepted to contest the $500,000 Group 1 Turnpoint Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) this year, Ron Leemon’s ace Oratorio gelding Manawanui to wear the No. 1 saddlecloth.

Manawanui has drawn worse than midfield in the Randwick Guineas barriers, the Golden Rose champion to jump from gate 11 with Tommy Berry aboard, their regular rider Glyn Schofield serving a suspension.

Out to atone for their loss on protest behind Wild And Proud in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) on a Heavy (9) Rosehill track on March 3, Manawanui faces a tough field of rivals again on Saturday his most notable competitor being Robert Smerdon’s brilliant filly Mosheen.

“Manawanui hasn’t had much go right in his two starts this time in,” Leemon said.

“It’ll be a good clash (on Saturday).

“She’s (Mosheen has) been slaying them in Melbourne and she’ll be hard to beat for sure, but this has been the race I have focused on having him right for in this campaign.

“He’ll strip a lot fitter than the previous week.”

Leemon named the $400,000 Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on April 7 and the $2 million Group 1 Doncaster Mile (160m) at Royal Randwick on April 21 as Manawanui’s two other autumn aims this prep before he was spelled and then bought back for the spring where the 2012 Cox Plate in October was the grand goal.

“That’s why I’m not pushing him out in distance this time around,” Leemon said referring to the end-of-year Cox Plate over 2040-metres.

“After Saturday I’ll focus on the George Ryder and the Doncaster Handicap.

“After the Doncaster he’ll go for a spell and be brought back for the Melbourne Spring.”

Last spring’s Crown Oaks winner, Fastnet Rock filly Mosheen will be out to prove herself better than the boys once again after she scored an upset three length victory in the Group 1 Australian Guineas over the Flemington mile two weeks ago this Saturday.

Mosheen has also come up with double digits for her Royal Randwick Guineas assignment in barrier 14, but it should matter little to her as she was become the first horse in history to win the Australian Guineas from double digits when she overcame 16 of 16 last start.

Another main danger in the Randwick Guineas field is Manawanui’s last-start conqueror Wild And Proud who has drawn the far outside gate 17.

Gai Waterhouse’s Snowland gelding was second past the post in the Hobartville but was rewarded the win, the third of their eight-start career to date, upon protest.

Waterhouse will also be represented in the Randwick Guineas 2012 with her undefeated Artie Schiller three-year-old Laser Hawk in barrier six with Nash Rawiller engaged.

Meanwhile, top Sydney trainer Peter Snowden will have a quartet from his stables in the Randwick Guineas on Saturday with Victoria Derby runner-up Induna (barrier 3), Group 3 winning Redoute’s Choice colt Galah (barrier 13), Free Wheeling (barrier 15) and Ambidexter (barrier eight).

Just about every horse in the 2012 Royal Randwick Guineas field is worth a mention such is the quality of acceptors but some of the more noteworthy contenders include the Anthony Cummings-trained Australian Guineas runner-up Strike The Stars, Peter Moody’s boom runner Moment Of Change coming off a third in the Hobartville and Guy Walter’s Spring Champion Stakes winner Doctor Doom on the rails.

Check out the full field, barriers and jockeys for the race below.

Randwick Guineas betting on the final field will open at our preferred online bookie bookmaker.com.au shortly, so make sure you have an account open with the best in the business to get in on the action!

2012 Randwick Guineas Final Field & Barrier Draw

Royal Randwick – 17/03/2012