Team Hawkes’ internationally-performed sprint star Chautauqua headlines a small eight-horse Canterbury Stakes 2017 field facing off at Royal Randwick this weekend in Sydney.

Chautauqua is an intriguing addition to the 2017 Canterbury Stakes field at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.

The $3 million Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) back at the track on April 1 shapes up as a possible target for champion galloper Chautauqua should he continue to show a desire for more distance.

He raced first-up on February 11 hitting the line well for a third behind Super Cash in the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes (1100m), the team now taking a gamble extending the $6.5 million earner out over more metres in Saturday’s $500,000 Group 1 Canterbury BMW Stakes (1300m).

The Canterbury Stakes runs as Race 5 at 2:50pm (AEDT) on the Randwick Guineas Day card and features a similarly small field to the seven that faced off in the race last year.

With solid form at the track (4-2-0-1), Chautauqua is sure to start near the top of the Canterbury Stakes betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au despite this being is first start over further than 1200m since his third in the 2015 All Aged Stakes two years ago.

Coming into the race fit and ready to fire are the Kris Lees-trained Le Romain and Music Magnate for Bjorn Baker drawn in barriers six and one respectively.

Winner of the Randwick Guineas on this day 12 months ago, the now four-year-old Le Romain subsequently enjoyed a second Group 1 in the spring winning the Cantala Stakes (1600m) at Flemington in late October.

The son of Hard Spun returned at Randwick on February 13 carrying a hefty 61kg to a narrow win in the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m).

The step-up in distance should suit on the weekend as will the drop to 59kg under the weight-for-age conditions of the Canterbury Stakes.

Music Magnate has Kerrin McEvoy aboard on Saturday, the hoop chasing his second winning ride in the race after success aboard Appearance (2014).

McEvoy stays in the saddle of Baker’s Written Tycoon five-year-old after riding last winter’s Doomben 10,000 winner to a first-up success in late January at Rosehill in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m).

Freshened-up since, Music Magnate has won a subsequent 1000m Gosford trial by over three lengths and is looking to become the second winner in three years to jump from barrier one in the Canterbury Stakes.

Boasting an incredible seven previous Canterbury Stakes wins, trainer Gai Waterhouse is in the mix again in 2017 saddling-up Ugo Foscolo in partnership with her former racing manager Adrian Bott.

Waterhouse’s latest triumph in the race was two years back with Cosmic Endeavour (2015) and her chance this weekend is a three-year-old son of Zacinto.

Ugo Foscolo is yet to race down under, the Kiwi expat having won all but one of his six career starts in New Zealand leading-up to his autumn campaign.

He was last seen taking out the Group 1 NZ 2000m Guineas (1600m), has trialled twice at Warwick Farm including a 1200m win on February 20 by seven lengths and is out to go back-to-back for the three-year-olds after the success of Holler (2016) last autumn.

Check out the full Canterbury Stakes 2017 field, barriers and jockeys below before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au for the best autumn racing markets and offers at the home of Odds Boost (T&Cs apply).

2017 Canterbury Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Randwick Race 5 (2:50pm) – 04/03/2017