The Listed Chester Manifold Stakes (1400m) is the feature race running at Flemington Racecourse this Saturday with 17 sprint-milers nominating for the race on Monday morning.

Reparations lead the Chester Manifold Stakes nominations on Monday morning. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.

Lee Freedman makes one of his first returns in his training partnership with brother Anthony after nominating Reparations for the 2015 Chester Manifold Stakes. The six-year-old gelding is the headline nominee, having won his share of black-type racing over the years.

Reparations ran a disappointing 15th (of 18) in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm during the winter but after five months in the spelling paddock returned to winning form in the Listed MSS Security Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on November 4.

After close to eight weeks he returned for a minor placing in the Group 3 Standish Handicap (1200m) on New Year’s Day. The gelding was in behind the leading few but over-raced in the early stages. He was chased along when three lengths from the front 200 metres out. He had some work to do but hit the line well in third, two lengths off winner Decircles.

The pair could get a rematch on Saturday after Danny O’Brien nominated the gelding.

There are plenty of other top-rated horses nominated for the Chester Manifold Stakes, including Lord Of The Sky and Red Excitement.

The Robbie Laing-trained Lord Of The Sky has finished runner-up in two of his three starts this campaign – the Listed Christmas Stakes (1200m) and Standish Handicap. The horse has done well to improve from his fourth place finish in the Listed Doveton Stakes (1000m) first up on December 6, where he carried a big weight and raced against the wins.

Lightly raced Red Excitement has finished in the first three in all six of his last starts but found himself sidelined for over ten months due to injury after winning the Eatability Handicap (1600m) in February last year. The Gerald Ryan-trained gelding successfully made his return to racing with a win in the Drummond Golf Handicap on December 20.

Aeronautical, Dany The Fox, Go The Knuckle, and Tried And Tired are also notable nominations.

Lionel Cohen’s Aeronautical last placed in the Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) in April, finishing midfield in all four starts since while Dany The Fox finished third in the Listed Thoroughbred Club Cup (1440m) last autumn.

The Leon & Troy Corstens-trained Tried And Tired is a last start winner of the Christmas Stakes for which Go The Knuckle was third.

Check out the full list of 2015 Chester Manifold Stakes nominations below before the final field is announced on Wednesday.

2015 Chester Manifold Stakes Nominations