Sydney trainer Mark Newnham plans to accept for three fillies in The Roses 2020 in Brisbane this weekend with the up-and-coming Celestial Falls the best fancied from the stable.

The Group 2 $175,000 The Roses (1800m) is traditionally run on Doomben 10,000 Day in May over 2000m for the season’s Queensland Oaks hopefuls.

With COVID-19 forcing a major shake-up to the 2020 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival however, the only two Group 1 features of the festival were last weekend’s Stradbroke Handicap and J.J. Atkins.

Without the Queensland Oaks on the program, The Roses was moved from Doomben to Eagle Farm and offers a reduced $175,000 in prize money.

It becomes the likely Grand Final then for the staying fillies in the race including Newnham’s trio: Celestial Falls, Money Magic and Soul Purpose.

Well-bred Hinchinbrook filly Celestial Falls is the best fancied of the three currently occupying the second line of all-in The Roses betting at $4 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

She chases her first win since saluting over the 1800m distance at Flemington last September ahead of her close third at Caulfield next start in the Group 3 Ethereal Stakes (2000m).

Celestial Falls presents fit third-up this weekend having run second in her two lead-up runs, the latest when a half-length off Saturday’s The Roses favourite Vanna Girl in the Listed Pam O’Neill Stakes (1600m) at Doomben.

At the roomier Eagle Farm track getting up over 1800m, Celestial Falls looks a genuine chance to turn the tables on her last start conqueror.

Newham said The Roses had always been on the winter agenda for Celestial Falls and stablemate Money Magic, the latter also a nicely-bred three-year-old being a daughter of former champion So You Think.

“For Celestial Falls and Money Magic it has certainly been on their radar for quite a while,” he told AAP this week.

“Money Magic had a summer campaign and then I put her away with this carnival in mind.

“But this is the grand final now.”

Money Magic is currently a $12 shot pre-acceptances in The Roses betting as she steps up to Black-Type company for the first time on the back of a second to Lando Bay over the 1800m at Randwick just last Saturday.

“Money Magic has never run poorly and the form around her has always been strong,” Newnham said.

“She’s rapidly improving and she pulled up well after Saturday.”

Soul Purpose is also at $12 to win The Roses in an upset for Newnham, the in-form Pierro filly second to the same runner Lando Bay in a Class 1 at Newcastle over 1895m from May 26.

“Soul Purpose is trying to get a bit of Black-Type,” the trainer said.

“She’s an honest staying filly and her form was well franked by Lando Bay, who she finished a close second to last start.”

Newnham removes the blinkers from Celestial Falls in The Roses and has her pegged as the one to beat in the Group 2.

“Celestial Falls has stayed up there [in Brisbane] with Chris Munce and she has done well,” he said.

“Her two runs back have been very good and you’d think with natural improvement she would be hard to beat on Saturday.”

Vanna Girl meanwhile is the firm and deserving $2.80 favourite to win The Roses for last weekend’s Stradbroke Handicap winning trainers Toby & Trent Edmonds.

The father-son training team won Queensland’s premier race in an upset with the 2019 runner-up Tyzone and are after more success on Saturday with Vanna Girl in The Roses.

She has won five of her past six starts including three straight ahead of Saturday’s test, the Husson filly also a dual Black-Type winner at Doomben this campaign.

Two back she took out the Listed Daybreak Lover Stakes (1615m) before beating home Celestial Falls in the Pam O’Neill on May 30 and the only query will be how she goes over further than a mile this weekend in the rematch.

The other standout The Roses nominee looking at the markets is the $5.50 third elect Sky Horse for the dynamic Victorian training duo of Ciaron Maher & David Eustace.

The Kiwi-bred Sky Horse is by Tavistock and comes off an eye-catching fourth from a wide barrier (13 of 14) at the Eagle Farm track on May 23 behind Supergiant in the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic (1800m).

The Gunsynd form was franked last weekend when the runner-up Ballistic Boy beat home the winner Supergiant in a reverse of the quinella in the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2200m).

The Roses 2020 final acceptances and barriers will be announced on Wednesday, with all-in betting currently available here thanks to Ladbrokes.com.au.

2020 The Roses Nominations

#	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp Rating
1	7×232331	ADELASE	F	3	Barry Baldwin	61
2	418×516173	AL JOOD	F	3	Chris Munce	73
3	x196x25775	CALIFORNIA SALTO	F	3	Peter & Paul Snowden	70
4	521x213x22	CELESTIAL FALLS	F	3	Mark Newnham	80
5	511538×662	CELLARMAID	F	3	Kelly Schweida	69
6	4×41132220	DEE DAY DIVA	F	3	Robert Heathcote	70
7	2613×85123	FLORENT	F	3	Tony Noonan
8	x816465x43	HALLOWED GIRL	F	3	Chris Anderson	58
9	2×68722404	MISS CAVALLO	F	3	Michael Nolan	65
10	1×05399	MISS PENFOLD	F	3	Kelly Schweida	64
11	122×132	MONEY MAGIC	F	3	Mark Newnham
12	8×75110245	SEGRILL	F	3	Clarry Conners
13	5×286114	SHUHOOD	F	3	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	71
14	24114	SKY HORSE (NZ)	F	3	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	70
15	642312	SOUL PURPOSE	F	3	Mark Newnham
16	214112111	VANNA GIRL	F	3	Toby & Trent Edmonds
17	x1132521x5	VIOLET	F	3	Michael Nolan	72