Mick Price’s speedy mare Secret Agenda is among The Galaxy 2018 nominations for Sydney on Saturday but is also in the mix for the Group 1 sprint at The Valley on Friday night.

Secret Agenda is nominated for the William Reid Stakes in Melbourne on Friday night as well as Saturday’s 2018 The Galaxy at Rosehill in Sydney on Saturday. Photo: Jenny Barnes.

The short-distance feature of Golden Slipper Day at Rosehill Gardens, this year’s Group 1 $700,000 The Galaxy (1100m) attracted 21 sprinters.

Among the standout early entries for the handicap clash is Not A Single Doubt mare Secret Agenda who won Flemington’s Listed BOB Hoysted (1000m) last time out first-up on May 3.

Best known for her Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) victory in Adelaide last May, Secret Agenda is also an early favourite for the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in Melbourne the evening before with a final decision pending on where she runs.

The mares have won two of the past three editions of the ATC The Galaxy with Sweet Idea (2015) and Griante (2016) and along with Secret Agenda there are six other mares in the mix this year along with two three-year-old fillies.

Gai Waterhouse prepared Sweet Idea for her success three years ago along with Snowland in 2003 and co-trains English with Adrian Bott for a shot at the title this year.

Encosta De Lago mare English hasn’t won since beating Redzel first-up in March of 2017 in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) and comes off a fifth in the same race this time in.

Other notable The Galaxy nominated mares include Ben Smith’s returning Manikato Stakes runner-up last time out In Her Time, the Kris Lees-trained Sugar Bella chasing her fifth win on the trot after success first-up the Group 3 Wenona Girl Handicap and Snitty Kitty.

Henry Dwyer prepares Victorian-trained Snitzel mare Snitty Kitty who comes off back-to-back Caulfield seconds this time in including the narrow second to last year’s The Galaxy winner Russian Revolution in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) on February 24.

The fillies nominated for The Galaxy, out to be the first of their kind to win since La Baraka (1998), are the Lindsay Park-trained duo of 2017 Blue Diamond winner Catchy and Tulip.

Two back Tulip impressed with a Moonee Valley win in the Group 3 Typhoon Tracy Stakes (1200m) before a last start fifth to Happy Clapper at Randwick in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m).

Peter & Paul Snowden prepared The Galaxy quinella of Russian Revolution and Redzel last autumn and return in 2018 with returning three-year-old Redoute’s Choice colt Pariah who hasn’t raced since his ninth to Trapeze Artist in the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) last September.

Undefeated first-up, Pariah has trialled well twice since and has strong Rosehill form (5:2-1-0) plus the 1100m record of two wins and a second from three starts making him a genuine danger fresh.

Other notable entries include the Godolphin-raced Challenge Stakes fourth placed Poet’s Voice colt Viridine who is undefeated at Rosehill and over 1100m, and last year’s third placegetter Jungle Edge who was the impressive Challenge Stakes runner-up last start despite the known mudlark running on a Good (4) track first-up.

See below for the full The Galaxy 2018 nominations ahead of the final field and updated odds at Ladbrokes.com.au coming out on Wednesday.

2018 The Galaxy Nominations

Rosehill Gardens – 24/03/2018