Godolphin’s champion mare Alizee will face just nine rivals in her bid for back-to-back wins in the Expressway Stakes 2020 with the Group 2 feature moved from Rosehill to Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Alizee will jump from barrier eight of 10 defending her Expressway Stakes title at Randwick (moved from Rosehill) on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.

With western Sydney experiencing extreme heat, Racing NSW made the decision on Wednesday morning to transfer the Expressway Stakes race meeting from Rosehill Gardens to Randwick.

The feature event on the card, the Group 2 $200,000 Expressway Stakes (1200m) attracted a 10-horse field and will take place as Race 8 at 4:30pm (AEDT).

After winning the race in 2019 at Rosehill, Sepoy mare Alizee returns looking to became the first two-time Expressway Stakes champion since Court’s In Session (2005-06).

The triple Group 1 champ races for the first time since her fourth to Nature Strip in Flemington’s Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic (1200m) over the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Odds-on in Expressway Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au pre-field, Alizee is a Rosehill specialist so the move to Randwick to accommodate the heat wave could see her jump at a slightly longer price.

She has had 13 runs at Randwick for five wins and a second with her last start at the track producing a seventh to Chris Waller’s star three-year-old Yes Yes Yes in the $14 million The Everest (1200m) last October.

The Royal Blue army are dually represented in this year’s Expressway Stakes field having also accepted for late entry Kiamichi.

The Golden Slipper winning filly is another runner better suited to Rosehill where she won the world’s richest race for two-year-olds on a Heavy (8) track last March.

Since then the daughter of Sidestep has four Randwick runs with her best result being a third behind Golden Slipper runner-up Microphone in the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) last April.

She has had two January trials ahead of her first-up run in the Expressway Stakes where Rachel King will ride from the outside barrier (10 of 10).

Alizee in eight meanwhile has jockey Hugh Bowman in the saddle, Bowman having ridden Court’s In Session to victory for Guy Walter in 2005.

Another late entry for the Expressway Stakes not among the original nominations was the Waller-trained Kolding getting plenty of early love from the punters following his acceptance into the final field.

A four-year-old son of Ocean Park, Kolding has won seven of his latest eight starts and is the better Randwick-performed horse in the line-up.

He has had four starts at the track for three wins including the narrow victory over Te Akau Shark in last year’s Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) when carrying no weight.

Subsequent winner of the inaugural $7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill, Kolding has had two lead-up trials and will likely need this run before performing at his best in later autumn targets.

Waller has also paid the final acceptance for returning stablemate Kubrick drawn well in barrier four, the Shooting To Win colt racing for the first time since claiming the $1 million Bondi Stakes (1600m) at Randwick over the mile in late October.

See below for the full Expressway Stakes 2020 field and barriers, updated markets available here courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2020 Expressway Stakes Field & Barrier Draw