A capacity field of gallopers led by the defending champ has been accepted for this Saturday’s Festival Stakes 2013 at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney.

Malavio seeks back-to-back Festival Stakes wins at Rosehill this weekend carrying the 59kg top weight. Photo: Steve Hart.
Running as Race 6 at 4:12pm (AEST) this year’s $100,000 Listed Blackwoods Stanley Dewalt Festival Stakes (1500m) drew a final field of 18 acceptors.
Fifteen of those are guaranteed a start while Fedde, Reflectance and Imperil sit as the three emergencies.
To wear the No. 1 saddlecloth and carry the 59kg top weight is Steve Englebrecht’s reigning Festival Stakes winner Malavio.
Drawn in gate 12 with Peter Robl to ride, Malavio won the Festival Stakes 12 months ago to round out their preparation when carrying 55kg.
They rise four kilos for the title defense, the now five-year-old Snitzel gelding coming off a close fourth with 58kg on their back over 1350m at the track two weeks’ back.
Following Malavio in the Festival Stakes weights are then the Paul Murray-trained Apollo Stakes winner from February Alma’s Fury (58.5kg) in gate three and Chris Waller’s in-form Redoute’s Choice mare She’s Clean (57.5kg) out wide in 14.
She’s Clean was last seen overcoming another wide barrier (15 of 16) when a brave third behind Plucky Belle and Arinosa in the Gorup 3 Lavazza Short Black (1400m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day, an effort that’s earned her a shot in open company here.
Waller has also accepted for 2012 Randwick Guineas runner-up Said Com (barrier five) coming off a close second in the Wadalba Handicap at the track from November 16 and Tromso (barrier 11).
Tromso is one of the last start winners in the race, the ageing Lonhro seven-year-old narrowly holding on to defeat Ninth Legion in the Listed Ladies Day Cup (1400m) at Hawkesbury earlier this month.
Also coming off an eye-catching win is the Hawkes-trained Wadalba Handicap winner Ninth Legion, a Tommy Berry mount drawn ideally in gate four with 55kg which is only half a kilo more than they carried to victory last start.
The two remaining horses after another win on the trot are both on the 54kg minimum then with the undefeated John O’Shea-trained White Sage (barrier 18) who is four-from-four and stepping up in class here after an easy three and a half length victory from a fortnight ago, and Joe Pride’s Terravista.
Drawn in gate two, which will become the rails draw if the third emergency fails to gain a run, Captain Rio four-year-old Terravista is after their fourth straight win this time in.
Last seen winning a benchmark 85 over 1400m at Randwick last Saturday carrying 56kg, Saturday is their sixth career start and first against black type company.
While it’s a short back-up between Saturdays for the up-and-comer, Pride is confident he can handle the assignment having pulled up from their latest run well.
“He has pulled up as good as we could have hoped,” Pride said on Tuesday.
See below for the complete Festival Stakes 2013 final field, barrier draw, jockeys and weights.
Our preferred online sportsbook Ladbrokes.com.au are due to open their Rosehill racing markets shortly including the Festival Stakes odds.
So make sure you’re ready to enjoy a punt on the ponies at the best prices this weekend by opening your Ladbrokes.com.au account!
2013 Festival Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw
Rosehill Race 6 – 4:12pm (AEST) – 30/11/2013
# | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp. Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 041×416564 | MALAVIO | Steve Englebrecht | Peter Robl | 12 | 59kg | 102 |
2 | 6420×06865 | ALMA’S FURY | Paul Murray | Ms Kathy O’Hara | 3 | 58.5kg | 101 |
3 | 41x115x503 | SHE’S CLEAN | Chris Waller | Jason Collett | 14 | 57.5kg | 103 |
4 | x6442115x7 | DESTINY’S KISS | Joseph Pride | – | 9 | 56.5kg | 97 |
5 | 02305x077x | MONTON | Ron Quinton | Sam Clipperton (a) | 15 | 56.5kg | 97 |
6 | 8305313×62 | SAID COM (NZ) | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 5 | 56.5kg | 97 |
7 | 671x0000x9 | ALL LEGAL | Kevin Moses | Brenton Avdulla | 13 | 56kg | 96 |
8 | 0x373241x6 | MERLIN MUSTANG | Michael Tubman | Jay Ford | 8 | 56kg | 96 |
9 | x70503x138 | STRIKE THE STARS (NZ) | Anthony Cummings | Blake Shinn | 7 | 56kg | 96 |
10 | 6x89x65821 | TROMSO | Chris Waller | Joshua Parr | 11 | 55.5kg | 95 |
11 | 412205×521 | NINTH LEGION | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Tommy Berry | 4 | 55kg | 94 |
12 | 93141740×0 | COURT CONNECTION | Danny Williams | – | 6 | 54kg | 91 |
13 | 2x39316x05 | LIMES | Peter Snowden | – | 17 | 54kg | 87 |
14 | 11×11 | WHITE SAGE | John O’Shea | James McDonald | 18 | 54kg | 87 |
15 | 15×111 | TERRAVISTA | Joseph Pride | Glyn Schofield | 2 | 54kg | 84 |
16e | 2153190×85 | FEDDE | Grahame Begg | Tim Clark | 10 | 54kg | 79 |
17e | 7x53x60925 | REFLECTANCE | John P Thompson | – | 16 | 54kg | 76 |
18e | 31421x8x42 | IMPERIL | Peter Snowden | – | 1 | 54kg | 77 |