The Chris Waller trained top Golden Slipper fancy  Performer heads up a small list of nominations for the Group 3 $150,000 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Only seven two-year-olds have been entered for the Canonbury Stakes which has prompted the Australian Turf Club to extend the nomination deadline until 11am on Tuesday, January 30, 2018.

A much more mature Performer will line up in the Canonbury Stakes in an attempt to regain his spot at the top of the market order for the Group 1 $3.5m Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on March 24.

Performer was installed as the early favourite for the 2018 Golden Slipper at Ladbrokes.com.au after scoring an impressive first win in the Listed $150,000 Arrowfield Breeders’ Plate (1000m) at Randwick on September 30.

The Exceed And Excel colt then lost his position at the top of the market order to Sunlight after the Tony McEvoy trained filly comfortably beat her two year old rivals in the $2m Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on January 13.

Waller’s racing manager Charlie Duckworth said that Performer has developed physically since his his debut win in the Breeders’ Plate and will go to the post on Saturday a much more mature race horse who has won both his recent barriers trials at Rosehill in preparation for his return to the race track.

“He’s taller, stronger and put on a considerable amount of weight,’’ Duckworth told Racing New South Wales News.

“He’s a more mature colt. We never tightened the screws at all last preparation, he did it on raw ability and that’s the reason why we didn’t tighten the screws because we had to allow his body to develop and strengthen.

“It gets everyone excited because it’s not in Chris’s methods of training to put them under pressure to win these early races.’’

“Everything else has been perfect. He’s still unbeaten, whether it be races or trials. So far as we’re all concerned we still think he is the one to beat.’’

Warwick Farm trainer Gary Portelli has nominated three of the seven youngsters in the Canonbury Stakes with Dio D’Oro and Patron Black having race experience while Excelebration colt Exceltic will be facing the starter for the first time.

Dio D’Oro has been to the races once for a second to the Team Hawkes trained Estijaab in a 1000m two year old Plate at Randwick on January 20 while Patron Black finished sixth in the same race.

To get an early look at the betting for the Canonbury Stakes head to Ladbrokes.com.au and secure the best odds.

2018 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) nominations

#	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer
1	–	AT THE HELM	C	2	Matthew Smith
2	2	DIO D’ORO	C	2	Gary Portelli
3	–	EXCELTIC	C	2	Gary Portelli
4	6x	HIEMAL	C	2	James Cummings
5	6	PATRON BLACK	C	2	Gary Portelli
6	1x	PERFORMER	C	2	Chris Waller
7	–	STRATOSPHERE	C	2	Peter & Paul Snowden