This Saturday, June 8, the big three-year-olds’ race may be the 2013 Queensland Derby in Brisbane but Victoria’s Flemington Racecourse will also host a black type feature for that age group with the A.R. Creswick Stakes 2013.

Words Are Weapons is undefeated going into Saturday's AR Creswick Stakes in Melbourne. Photo: Jenny Barnes.

There were a bumper 28 nominations for this year’s edition of the $120,000 Listed A.R. Creswick Stakes (1200m) which is a great end of season sprint race for three-year-olds not suited to the testing mile and a half of the $500,000 Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm.

One of the sure to be favourites in this year’s A.R. Creswick Stakes is the Geoff Wheeler-trained She Can Skate, the Bradbury’s Luck filly coming off a sensational Caulfield win from May 25.

A winner on debut at the Geelong synthetic track last November, She Can Skate resumed off a five month break in a handicap over 1100m last start and was able to charge home by four lengths.

That victory, her trainer’s first ever metro success, set the progressive filly up for a shot at the Creswick which will be She Can Skate’s first look at the 1200m.

The horses that ran the next three placings in that race have also all been nominated to take on their last start conqueror She Can Skate in the AR Creswick Stakes this weekend with the Danny O’Brien-trained Pins filly Spending (2^nd), Group 3 Kiwi winner So Wotif (3^rd) who has won four of their nine starts to date running top three in a further four of those runs, and Written Tycoon colt Grand Emperor (4^th).

Other notable hopes among the A.R. Creswick Stakes nominations include Robbie Griffiths’ up-and-comer Edgewood and Tasmanian raider Mister John.

Strada gelding Mister John is yet to finish out of the money boasting five wins and two minor placings from their seven career assignments, their best effort being a three quarter length victory over Kenjorwood in the Listed Tasmanian Guineas (1600m0 at Launceston back in early January.

They make their interstate debut on Saturday on the back of a third to Royal Rapture in the Autumn 3YO Classic (1400m) back home but whether the 1200m will be a little sharp for them remains to be seen.

Also in the mix are the lightly-raced Peter Moody-trained Bel Esprit gelding Bel Seal, the undefeated Scimitar, Winta Chiller after their third consecutive victory and the Sam Kavanagh-trained Words Are Weapons.

The Morphettville-based Dubawi filly Words Are Weapons is also out to retain a flawless record having won both of her starts so far firstly at Gawler by two lengths and then at Morphettville Parks over 1000m on May 25 where she own by an easy three lengths.

“I don’t know how she’ll go over six furlongs for the first time and down the straight for the first time, but she’s certainly got ability,” Kavanagh said.

“I don’t know how far she’s going to go but this was the logical step.

“She only has a couple of months left to get black type as a three-year-old.

“This race and the Dermody Stakes are the logical races to try to do that.”

The $80,000 Listed Dermody Stakes (1050m) runs in Adelaide on July 27.

Check out the full A.R. Creswick Stakes entries and ballot below with the final field set to be released on Wednesday.

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2013 A.R. Creswick Stakes Nominations

Flemington Racecourse – 08/01/2013