Peter & Paul Snowden’s dual Group 3 winning four-year-old Gold Symphony shapes-up as one of the genuine Saturday racing contenders in the 2017 Civic Stakes field at Rosehill Gardens.

Dual Group 3 winner Gold Symphony is a key final acceptor for the 2017 Civic Stakes field at Rosehill Racecourse on Saturday in Sydney. Photo: Adrienne Bicknell.

Set to run as Rosehill Race 7 at 3:05pm (AEST), this year’s $150,000 Listed Civic Stakes (1350m) has attracted 13 hopefuls including well-bred Reward For Effort gelding Gold Symphony.

As a youngster he enjoyed a great start to his career winning three of his opening four starts including back-to-back Group 3 sprints at Caulfield in August of 2015.

Since then Gold Symphony has been a little hit and miss, but has looked back in better form this season including his Listed National Sprint (1400m) win when beating Happy Clapper home by two lengths at Canberra in early March.

A Luskin Star third at Scone behind subsequent Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup winner Clearly Innocent followed in mid-May before Gold Symphony was stepped-up in grade himself at Doomben on June 10.

The galloper lined-up in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) as a $26 outsider and was brave in defeat running under three lengths back sixth behind three-year-old Impending.

Saturday’s Civic Stakes is a big drop back in grade and despite going up from 53.5kg to 56.kg, Gold Symphony looks a genuine danger.

The Civic Stakes weights are led by last start June Stakes winner The Monstar (59.5kg) who is also accepted for the Listed Glasshouse Handicap (1350m) at the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

Scone trainer Brett Cavanough is looking for a soft track for his in-form six-year-old and will make a late-week call on which of the two races The Monstar contests based on the weather and course conditions.

The only other last start winner in the Civic Stakes field this winter is the John Thompson-trained I Am Invincible four-year-old Invincible Knight.

The gelding saluted in a Benchmark 78 on a Heavy (8) Rosehill track on June 17 carrying a hefty 61kg to victory from barrier 14 of 16.

Saturday he steps-up in grade for the black-type win, but will relish coming back to the 53kg minimum that will help him overcome another outside alley (13 of 13).

Also drawn wide in the Civic Stakes barriers this year are the Gerald Ryan-trained Girl Sunday (12) and Team Snowden’s other runner Extensible (11) who are both on the 53kg minimum.

Four-year-old Encosta De Lago mare Girl Sunday comes off a last start fifth from June 3 at the track, while fellow mare Extensible is down in class after a close fifth just two lengths beaten by subsequent Tatt’s Tiara placegetter Prompt Response in Doomben’s Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes (1350m).

Other notable hopes in the mix include the Kim Waugh-trained Rosehill specialist Shiraz who has brilliant form at the track (8-4-2-0) and Centre Pivot who also has a 50% winning strike rate at the course (8-4-1-0).

Chris Waller meanwhile will saddle-up his last start placegetter over the 1400m at Rosehill Sir Bacchus, and Matthew Smith has confirmed plans to run his veteran sprinter Zin Zan Eddie in the race on way to the Winter Stakes.

“Zin Zan Eddie is spot-on and definitely runs on Saturday,” Smith told AAP.

“The Winter Stakes is a goal. I’m hoping we can stretch him out further this time, maybe up to a mile.”

See below for the full Civic Stakes 2017 field & barriers, Sydney racing odds for Saturday due out shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2017 Civic Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Rosehill Race 7 (3:05pm) – 01/07/2017