Defending champion The United States is one of the key Ranvet Stakes 2017 nominations taken for the weight-for-age staying showdown on Golden Slipper Day in Sydney on Saturday.

A bumper five elite level races including Winx running in the George Ryder Stakes headline the Sydney racing action on the weekend.

Another key support act on the card is the $700,000 Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m), nominations for which have been extended by Racing NSW until 11:00am (AEDT) on Tuesday.

Of the current ten entries there is plenty of interest around the Robert Hickmott-trained The United States who won the race last year on the back of a Group 2 Blamey Stakes second at Flemington.

Theseo (2009-10) was the last consecutive Ranvet Stakes winner, while if accepted The United States will also be out to be the first seven-year-old winner of the race in over 30 years.

The Lloyd Williams-owned Galileo stallion should be set to peak third-up on the weekend, but will be on the quick back-up after running a brave fifth behind Humidor in last Saturday’s Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) in Melbourne.

In pre-field Ranvet Stakes betting currently open at Ladbrokes.com.au The United States is listed the $6 second favourite.

Dominating the futures Ranvet Stakes odds at a short all-in quote of $1.85 is the John O’Shea-trained Hartnell.

The race is the only one of the autumn where the gallant Godolphin galloper doesn’t come up against superstar mare Winx who instead chases her 16^th win on the trot on the day in the George Ryder Stakes (1500m).

Hartnell finally gets the chance to return to winning form for the first time since the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) victory over subsequent Caulfield Cup winner Jameka at Flemington last October.

He has had two runs this time in for two losses to Winx at Randwick and is out to atone for the disappointing eighth when nine lengths beaten in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) in the wet on February 25.

Hartnell is undefeated at Rosehill Gardens (2-2-0-0) so will relish getting back to his pet Sydney track and will also eat-up the extra metres boasting an outstanding record at the distance (9-4-1-1).

O’Shea prepared Contributer for his Ranvet Stakes win in 2015 and Hartnell is his sole entry in 2017.

The other two most notable early entries are the Darren Weir-trained Stratum Star ($7.50) and Chris Waller’s Sydney Cup-bound Kiwi import Antonio Giuseppe ($8).

Stratum Star won three races on the trot from December – late February before his brave fourth to stablemate Humidor defeated under two lengths in last weekend’s Australian Cup.

Weir has also nominated for former Perth Cup winning mare Real Love who was scratched from the Australian Cup field.

Antonio Giuseppe meanwhile gives Waller a chance at a second Ranvet Stakes success after his win with Foreteller (2013) at odds of $31.

The Shocking four-year-old is another graduate from last weekend’s racing having finished second to the runaway winner Tavago in the Group 3 Sky High Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill.

That was the first Rosehill loss from five starts at the track for Antonio Giuseppe who may be given the chance to atone in the Ranvet Stakes on the weekend.

Check out the latest Ranvet Stakes 2017 nominations below, futures betting open online now at Ladbrokes.com.au – home of Odds Boost (T&Cs apply).

2017 Ranvet Stakes Nominations

Rosehill Gardens – 18/03/2017

#	Form (Last 10)	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp. Rating
1	x511112x12	ANTONIO GIUSEPPE (NZ)	G	4	Chris Waller	103
2	611x92384x	HARLEM (GB)	H	5	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	98
3	x211123x28	HARTNELL (GB)	G	6	John O’Shea	115
4	5501x5860x	OUR IVANHOWE (GER)	H	7	Lee & Anthony Freedman	111
5	10x4540x60	PREFERMENT (NZ)	H	5	Chris Waller	114
6	x27156x555	REAL LOVE	M	6	Darren Weir	106
7	x165344x40	SO SI BON	C	3	Robbie Laing	78
8	x121x090x7	SOFIA ROSA (NZ)	M	4	Stephen Marsh	104
9	3×85021114	STRATUM STAR	H	5	Darren Weir	112
10	12x6145x35	THE UNITED STATES (IRE)	H	7	Robert Hickmott	111