Les Bridge’s Sapphire Stakes winner Avoid Lightning is one of the headline nominations taken for one of the two Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival Group 1 features at Morphettville on Saturday, the Robert Sangster Stakes 2015.

Avoid Lightning is one of the top-rated hopes nominated for Saturday’s 2015 Robert Sangster Stakes in Adelaide. Photo: Steve Hart.

The $400,000 Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) has this year attracted 23 fillies and mares at early entry stage including the Randwick-based Blevic six-year-old Avoid Lightning who comes off a win at home.

On April 11 the sprint specialist saluted in her first race since last October when beating home Griante in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m), and now she returns to Morphettville for the first time in two years.

Back in 2013 she had a two-run Adelaide campaign this time of year that culminated with a sixth to Platelet in the Robert Sangster.

Winner of the Robert Sangster Stakes – The Goodwood double that year, Darren Weir’s classy Strategic mare Platelet is another of the headline nominees for the first leg of that double this autumn.

The now six-year-old returned to the track last autumn to defend her titles in both Group 1s, and while unsuccessful was far from disgraced running second to Driefontein and Smokin’ Joey respectively in the two 1200m features.

This time in Platelet comes off a sixth, of seven runners, in the Group 3 RN Irwin Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville from April 18, a run she’ll be out to atone for when back up to Group 1 class.

The RN Irwin Stakes has produced the past two Robert Sangster Stakes winners with Platelet (2013) having run second in the lead-up to the elite level two years ago before the Gai Waterhouse-trained Sydney raider Driefontein (2014) completed the double 12 months ago.

The best of the RN Irwin Stakes graduates nominated for the Robert Sangster this year is the Tony McEvoy-trained The Messina Nymph who ran third, crossing three lengths off the winner Daytona Grey.

The Commands four-year-old won the Listed Manihi Stakes (1100m) the run before, her third straight victory, to give her a nice record of five wins from 10 starts leading into her maiden Group 1 assignment on the weekend.

Along with Avoid Lightning and Platelet the other top two rated mares in the mix are the Jim Taylor-trained Magnifisio and Peter & Paul Snowden’s Miracles Of Life.

Over from WA for an Adelaide raid this season, $1.2 million earner Magnifisio is a five-year-old daughter of Magnus with Group 1 winning form back in Perth having taken out the Winterbottom Stakes over the 1200m at Ascot last November.

She returned this season in the RN Irwin and ran a brave fourth, a run she’s tipped to improve on this weekend now she’s had a look at the track.

Miracles Of Life meanwhile is best known for her 2013 Blue Diamond Stakes win but has been back racing in good form again this time in including her last start third to Sweet Idea in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill on March 21.

She also has Adelaide form having had four runs here last year for two seconds and a Group 2 Sportingbet Stakes (1200) win over Jazz Song before her failure when 16^th in the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) as a $9 shot.

A host of other interstate raiders are also over in SA racing in the Group 1 on Saturday including three Peter Moody-nominated Robert Sangster hopes.

Moody has entered the well-fancied Sebring filly Bring Me The Maid last seen running second in Arrowfield 3YO Sprint in the mud at Randwick, Sapphire Stakes fifth placed Peron and recent Matrice Stakes winner at Morphettville Runway Star.

Also with a trio of Robert Sangster Stakes nominees is the David Hayes & Tom Dabernig training duo with Commands four-year-old Gregers, last start Caulfield winner Miss Promiscuity and three-year-old Group 2 Kewney Stakes winning Lonhro filly Wawail.

The other headline entries then include the John Sadler-trained Vain Queen, Robert Smerdon’s last start Bel Esprit Stakes winner Politeness and Sabatini for Caulfield’s Lee & Shannon Hope – the Street Cry filly having won the Group 2 Angus Armansco Stakes (1400m) back in February.

Vain Queen is leading pre-field Robert Sangster Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au at $4.60 after the Artie Schiller mare’s brave second to Lucky Hussler last start at Moonee Valley in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) from March 27.

See below for the full Robert Sangster Stakes 2015 nominations, the final field and barriers due out on Wednesday so stay tuned.

In the meantime head over to our preferred online bookie Ladbrokes.com.au for the all-in Robert Sangster Stakes odds before markets firm with final acceptances.

2015 Robert Sangster Stakes Nominations

Morphettville Racecourse – 02/05/2015