A top-class field of spring cup hopefuls has been accepted into the 2012 Turnbull Stakes field at Flemington Racecourse this Saturday including the current Caulfield Cup betting favourite December Draw.

December Draw seeks back-to-back wins in the 2012 Turnbull Stakes this Saturday

Beaten favourite in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) last spring having broken down during the running of the $2.65 million handicap, Mark Kavanagh’s classy import is back on track to atone this Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival starting with a second win in the $500,000 Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m).

The Medecis six-year-old won the Turnbull last year and is sure to be the top fancy to go back-to-back this weekend as they come off an excellent third in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) which would see them become just the third dual Turnbull winner joining Comic Court and Vo Rogue.

They drop back from 59kg in the Underwood to 57.5kg on Saturday and have also come up trumps with barrier three in the full 16-starter plus one emergency Turnbull Stakes 2012 field.

Two of the other top Turnbull Stakes fancies have had mixed results in the barrier draw with Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes winner Happy Trails drawing the inside alley, and reigning Caulfield Cup champ Southern Speed, coming off an Underwood Stakes fourth, with work to do from barrier 15.

Other widely drawn hopefuls include the Hawkes-trained Sydney Cup winner Niwot (barrier 13), Ciaron Maher’s Makybe Diva Stakes third placed Moudre (16), the Shanue Ritchie-trained Let’s Elope Stakes winning Kiwi visitor Zurella (14) and John Sadler’s Melbourne Cup-bound American import Winchester (17) out to improve on their Underwood ninth in their Australian debut.

Sadler has also accepted for his Galileo six-year-old Linton who has drawn better with barrier eight and who produced a good first-up fourth in the Dato’.

“We were really unlucky in that,” Malua Racing’s General Manager Troy Corstens said of Linton’s run in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes.

“He got held up coming to the 600m and couldn’t do a lot from the 600m to the 400m. He really attacked the line once he got into free running.

“He has done really well since. We were really happy with his work this morning (Tuesday).

“Steven Arnold was super pleased. It is hard to go into a Group 1 of this standing with confidence but I wouldn’t be swapping him with too many.”

Other notable 2012 Turnbull Stakes acceptors then include Australian Derby winner Ethiopia who is a genuine chance from barrier four, last year’s Cox Plate third placegetter Rekindled Interest (barrier 10), the Lloyd Williams-owned Green Moon (barrier nine) out to regain their Caulfield Cup favouritism, and the Peter Moody’s impressive Underwood Stakes runner-up Voila Ici (barrier five).

Check out the official 2012 Turnbull Stakes field, barriers, jockeys and weights in the table below.

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2012 Turnbull Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Flemington Race 7 – 4:20pm – 06/10/2012