Joe Pride’s recent Missile Stakes winner Rain Affair will get their chance to atone on a last start loss when they race on Golden Rose Day this Saturday in the Theo Marks Stakes 2013.

Rain Affair will look to bounce back in Saturday's Theo Marks Stakes 2013. Photo: Steve Hart.

One of four Group race highlights at Rosehill Gardens on the weekend, this year’s $200,000 Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1400m) has attracted 11 early entries.

The top rated of those is Commands six-year-old Rain Affair.

A multiple Group 1 performer including their second in the All Aged Stakes in Sydney and BTC Cup in Brisbane last season, the speedy gelding put five and a half lengths on their closest rival Mic Mac to win the Group 3 Missile Stakes (1200m) first-up at Randwick last month.

They were the beaten odds-on favourite last time out however when third to Veyron and Streama in the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m) on August 24.

Pride is still keen to see them secure a Group 1 trophy of their own this spring however and hopes they can bounce back this weekend.

One of their most notable possible rivals is Rob Heatcote’s resuming Group 1 winner Solzhenitsyn.

The now seven-year-old, winner of the Toorak last October, hasn’t raced since a fifth to Linton in the Stradbroke Handicap back home on June 8.

They enjoyed a tidy trial win at Doomben at the start of this month and look on track for their spring assault with a title defense in the $400,000 Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) on October 12 likely.

Also from Brisbane is then the Kelso Wood-trained Someday.

The Falvelon gelding was in flying form last season including their big win in the Glasshouse Handicap on the Sunshine Cost in the wet.

Someday however didn’t really feature first-up in Sydney when 10^th to Rebel Dane in the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m) on August 24.

Coming off a win meanwhile is Greg Eurell’s Host four-year-old Hosting.

Outclassed as a three-year-old when dead last in the Australian Guineas over the mile in March, Hosting returned at Sandown last week and enjoyed a first-up win over 1200m in their first run since undergoing a gelding operation.

Eurell has also nominated for his Niello five-year-old Your Honour who won their opening four career starts last season before their fourth to their stablemate at Sandown last start.

Check out the full Theo Marks Stakes 2013 nominations in the table below with acceptances out on Wednesday.

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2013 Theo Marks Stakes Nominations

Rosehill Gardens – 14/09/2013