A dozen sprinters led by Terravista will take to Ascot Racecourse on Saturday to face off in Perth’s richest sprint – the 2016 Winterbottom Stakes.

Terravista carries the No. 1 saddlecloth in Saturday’s 2016 Winterbottom Stakes field in Perth. Photo: Steve Hart.

This year’s $1 million Group 1 Crown Perth Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) field has drawn an official final field of 12 hopefuls led by two interstate raiders.

The Joe Pride-trained Terravista and Peter Gelagotis’ in-form Malaguerra will carry saddlecloth numbers one and two in the Winterbottom Stakes this Perth Summer Racing Carnival.

Both are Group 1 winners with Terravista having won the 2014 Darley Classic and five-year-old Malaguerra coming off a win in this year’s edition of that same Flemington classic run down the straight on November 5.

The two have been battling for favouritism in early Winterbottom Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au and meet equal on 58.5kg under the weight-for-age conditions of Saturday’s feature.

Hugh Bowman retains the ride on seven-year-old Terravista who he rode for a brave first-up second at Flemington on Crown Oaks Day carrying 60.5kg behind Redzel in the Listed G.H. Mumm Stakes (1000m).

Magnus gelding Malaguerra also has his recent rider Ben Melham sticking aboard on the weekend as he chases his sixth win from eight starts over the distance.

Malaguerra is also looking to frank the Darley Classic field in the Winterbottom Stakes for the third time in four years after Buffering won the 2013 and 2015 editions of the latter on the back of a first and a fourth respectively in the Flemington lead-up.

Dual Winterbottom Stakes winning jockey William Pike – Ellicorsam (2004) and Hadabeclorka (2010) – shoots for a third victory this season aboard the Grant & Alana Williams-trained State Solicitor.

A four-year-old son of Nicconi, State Solicitor has won all but one of his seven career starts and is undefeated at the track (2-2-0-0).

Those two Ascot wins have come at this two latest starts this time in as the odds-on favourite over the 1200m and he steps up in class on the weekend looking to continue the winning streak and his stellar form over the distance (6-5-0-0).

The stable has also accepted for Stratum five-year-old Battle Hero who Glenn Smith will ride for the first time.

Four of the past five Winterbottom Stakes winners came off a lead-up win and another runner that fits that bill this this year is the Sean Casey-trained Vega Magic.

An ultra-consistent Lope De Vega four-year-old, Vega Magic is a four-time winner from five starts at Ascot and is yet to finish out of the money over 1200m in nine starts including seven victories.

His latest Ascot win was on November 12 in the Group 3 Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m) and he’s set to appreciate the extra distance on Saturday.

The last Winterbottom Stakes winner to back-up off a Colonel Reeves Stakes run was Barakey (2012) who completed the double Vega Magic shoots for this summer.

Colonel Reeves Stakes runner-up Rock Magic has also been accepted for the rematch in Saturday’s Group 1, the Chris Gangemi-trained seven-year-old having won the Group 3 Prince Of Wales Stakes (1000m) the run prior.

The other interstate raiders in the Winterbottom Stakes field are the Gary Moore-trained Group 3 Chatham Stakes winner on Oaks Day Takedown, and the Lindsay Park-trained duo of Keen Array and Sheidel.

See below for the full Winterbottom Stakes 2016 field and jockeys with the barrier draw to be conducted shortly followed by updated odds released at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2016 Winterbottom Stakes Final Field

Ascot Racecourse – 26/11/2016