The John O’Shea-trained Golden Rose winner Astern is back racing at Royal Randwick on Saturday headlining the Roman Consul Stakes 2016 nominations for Epsom Handicap Day.

Golden Rose winner Astern is hot favourite to win the 2016 Roman Consul Stakes for Godolphin in Sydney on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.

Just nine three-year-olds are nominated for this weekend’s $300,000 Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m), but there is plenty of class among the youngsters entered for the set weights clash.

Last Sydney Spring Racing Carnival O’Shea and the Godolphin stable won the Golden Rose Stakes – Roman Consul Stakes double with Exosphere (2015) who went on to run fourth to Japonisme in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

This year the stable is back with another star young sprinter, Medaglia D’Oro colt Astern

He won the Group 2 Run To The Rose (1200m) first-up before the big 2.3 length victory over Omei Sword in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on September 10.

Astern drops back to 1200m and heads to Randwick this weekend for the first time since his dead heat Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) win at the track as a juvenile in April, chasing the same double as Exosphere last year.

He will then head south targeting either the Coolmore Stud Stakes against his own age on VRC Derby Day, October 29, or the Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m) a week later against the older sprint stars.

Unsurprisingly, Astern leads the pre-field Roman Consul Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au at an odds-on quote of $1.65.

Second favourite in the futures, all-in Roman Consul Stakes odds at $3.20 is the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Golden Slipper winner Capitalist.

After winning the world’s richest race for two-year-olds defeating subsequent ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Yankee Rose, Written Tycoon colt Capitalist went out for a spell.

He came back on August 13 but could only manage to cross fourth to Astern in an upset loss in the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) that he is out to atone for on Saturday on the back of a smart 800m Randwick trial from last week.

Team Snowden have also nominated for the undefeated Russian Revolution, the Snitzel colt chasing his fourth win from as many career starts on the back of his Group 3 Vain Stakes (1100m) win at Caulfield in mid-August.

Russian Revolution is also one of 18 nominations taken for the weight-for-age Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) over the same distance on Epsom Day.

The other most notable entries for the three-years-old sprint include the Kris Lees-trained Listed Heritage Stakes (1100m) winner first-up at the track a fortnight back Guard Of Honour and the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained dead heat Kindergarten Stakes winner El Divino.

See below for the full Roman Consul Stakes 2016 nominations, the field and barriers set for release on Wednesday.

In the meantime head to Ladbrokes.com.au and check out the weekend’s all-in markets for Sydney and Melbourne at the home of Odds Boost (T&Cs apply).

2016 Roman Consul Stakes Nominations

Randwick Racecourse – 01/10/2016