The Listed City Of Marion Stakes (1200m) is the feature race running at Morphettville this Saturday, with 14 sprinters nominated for the race on Monday.

Conservatorium headlines the City Of Marion Stakes nominations. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Headlining the nominations is the Gary Kennewell-trained Conservatorium who will carry the top weight of 61kg, four kilograms more than his closest rival.

The seven-year-old gelding has had one start this campaign, a minor placing in a Morphettville Handicap over 1000m two weeks ago.

Conservatorium had a fantastic campaign during 2013, which included a second placing in the Group 1 Goodwood (1200m) and wins in both the Group 2 Lee Steere Stakes (1400m) and Group 3 A.J. Scahill Stakes (1400m) in Perth.

However when he returned in the autumn and winter of this year, the gelding finished end of the field in all but one start. He returned to The Goodwood in May, jumping well and tracking the two leaders. He hit the front at the turn but just weakened in the last 200m to finish eighth of 19.

His Brisbane Winter Carnival was less impressive, finishing last in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1350m) and second last in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).

Gary Kennewell’s son Lloyd has nominated Thiamandi for the 2014 City Of Marion Stakes, which is the second-highest nominated horse.

The four-year-old mare beat Conservatorium home last time out, finishing half a length in front of the gelding in second place. The winner of the handicap Brimarvi Prince is also nominated for Saturday’s race, which means it’ll be a rematch for the first three finishers. The Paul Seater-trained gelding has won his last three starts.

Thiamandi enjoyed three successive wins earlier this year, which included the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield, before just missing out on a placing in the Listed Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) by a short head-neck. The mare couldn’t maintain her form in the Group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m), finishing dead last.

After a spell of three months she returned to claim second at Morphettville on November 22.

Jim Smith will deliver a dual-pronged attack on the race after nominating both Meadows Jim and Kosciuszko’s Side, who will both carry the minimum weight of 54kg.

Check out the full list of 2014 City Of Marion Stakes nominations below. The final field will be released Wednesday morning with betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au opening shortly thereafter.

2014 City Of Marion Stakes Nominations