The George Main Stakes 2020 nominations have been extended until Tuesday morning after just nine early entries for the Group 1 mile feature in Sydney this weekend were taken by Racing NSW.

Avilius is nominated for a title defense in the 2020 George Main Stakes in Sydney on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.

Continuing the elite action of the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival at Royal Randwick on Saturday is the popular Group 1 $500,000 George Main Stakes (1600m).

Last year’s winning quinella of Avilius and Dreamforce are entered for a rematch in the weight-for-age showdown, while all-in George Main Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au is led by the Chris Waller-trained Verry Elleegant.

Godolphin’s defending George Main Stakes winner Avilius is out to go back-to-back in the event in the vein of triple champion Winx (2016-19) having won the race for the first time in the post-Winx era last season.

The Pivotal gelding has been winless since with a frustrating run of minor placings and is out to improve on his first-up fourth in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at the track and distance on September 5.

Dreamforce for John Thompson may be a veteran eight-year-old, but the son of Fastnet Rock showed he still had a zest for racing with a second-up win last time out.

Winner of Rosehill’s Group 1 George Ryder Stakes in the autumn, the gelding atoned for his first-up 15^th in the Group 1 Winx Stakes winning the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) earlier in the month.

It was the same race he won last spring before running second to Avilius in the George Main and connections will be hoping for a similar result 12 months on.

Waller meanwhile has won six of the past eight editions of the George Main Stakes with his three-time hero Winx (2016-18) having followed on from the stable’s earlier success with: Shoot Out (2012), Sacred Falls (2014) and Kermadec (2015).

The master Sydney-based horseman has four of the current nine nominees this year led by the clear $2.40 all-in favourite Verry Elleegant.

The ultra-consistent Zed mare won the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) in fighting fashion first-up on August 22 and twice beat home Avilius in the autumn when he ran third to her in both the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) and Group 1 Tancred takes (2400m) at Rosehill.

Waller’s other entries are: Winx Stakes fourth-placed Imaging; runner-up in the same lead-up Star Of The Seas who was also second in the Doncaster Mile during the autumn; and fellow last start runner-up behind Dreamforce in the Tramway, Kolding.

Godolphin’s ATC Oaks winner Colette, Doncaster Mile winning mare Nettoyer for Wendy Roche and the John Thompson-trained Ocean Park four-year-old Opacity round out the original nominations.

Click here for the latest pre-field 2020 George Main Stakes betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2020 George Main Stakes Nominations

Extended until 11:00am (AEST), 15/09/2020

Table Credit: Racing Australia.