This Sunday in Melbourne the Chris Waller-trained Preferment will defend his title in the Turnbull Stakes 2016 shooting for successive wins in the Flemington feature.

Preferment (inside) defends his title at Flemington on Sunday in the Turnbull Stakes 2016. Photo: Steve Hart.

A final field of 13 hopefuls is engaged for this year’s edition of the $500,000 Group 1 Yellowglen Turnbull Stakes (2000m), the set weights plus penalties clash set to run as Flemington Race 7 at 3:55pm (AEDT) on Sunday afternoon.

Last Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, Waller’s Zabeel stallion Preferment took out the Turnbull on the back of a win in the Group 2 Hill Stakes (2000m).

He did it from barrier nine (of 15) with Hugh Bowman aboard on 56.5kg.

This weekend Bowman also chases back-to-back Turnbull Stakes wins retaining the mount on the now five-year-old who has a top record of three wins from four starts at the Randwick track.

Preferment however has been penalised for his two Group 1 autumn wins in the Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington and The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill.

He carries the 59kg top weight in the Turnbull Stakes, but has drawn well in barrier five that last produced a winner just two years ago in Happy Trails (2014).

The reigning Turnbull Stakes winner graduates from the Hill Stakes again this season, but needs to improve on his distant fifth when over eight lengths off the winner Hartnell.

Prepared by John O’Shea for Godolphin, this year’s Hill Stakes winner Hartnell now chases the double achieved by Preferment in 2015 backing up in the Turnbull Stakes.

The six-year-old son of Authorized is a three-time winner from seven starts at 2000m, but is yet to place in the money from two previous Flemington runs.

His form in Sydney this season has been outstanding and he races in Melbourne for the first time since his 15^th to Prince Of Penzance when under six lengths off the winner over the two miles in last November’s Melbourne Cup.

O’Shea has also accepted for the stable’s last start Flemington runner-up over 1700m, four-year-old Tally drawn in last year’s Turnbull Stakes winning barrier (nine).

Along with Hartnell, the other two last start winners in the Turnbull Stakes field are the Ciaron Maher-trained Jameka and the Darren Weir-trained Raw Impulse.

Winner of last year’s Crown Oaks, Jameka is out to become the first Turnbull Stakes winning mare since Devil Moon (2007).

The four-year-old daughter of Myboycharlie has strong form over Sunday’s distance (3-2-0-1) and was last seen running away by 3.75 lengths to win Caulfield’s Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) on September 17.

Maher has also accepted for his 2014 Crown Oaks winner Set Square in the Turnbull Stakes, the now five-year-old Reset mare coming off a fourth in the Naturalism Stakes and drawn wide on Sunday in barrier 12.

No Turnbull Stakes winner has saluted from a double-digit barrier since the mighty Makybe Diva (16 of 16) back in 2005.

Raw Impulse meanwhile is in barrier 11 with the race’s 2012 winning jockey on Green Moon, Craig Williams, on standby for the ride.

The last start Morphettville winner however is also accepted for Saturday’s Group 3 Craven Plate (2000m) at Randwick where he is second favourite in betting behind It’s Somewhat.

Other notable final acceptors for the Melbourne Group 1 on Sunday include Mick Price’s reigning VRC Derby winner Tarzino, Ranvet Stakes winner The United States racing second-up at his pet distance (5-2-2-0) and Doomben Cup winner Our Ivanhowe drawn barrier one.

See below for the full Turnbull Stakes 2016 field, barriers, jockeys and weights before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au for access to all the weekend’s top racing odds and offers.

2016 Turnbull Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Flemington Race 7 (3:55pm) – 02/10/2016