Nine Group 1 winners headline the Turnbull Stakes field

A high quality field of 16 contenders has been declared to contest the $750,000 Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday.

Last start Group 1 Underwood Stakes winner Buckaroo lines up in Saturday’s Turnbull Stakes. Photo: Scott Barbour/Getty Images.

A high quality field of 16 contenders has been declared to contest the $750,000 Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday.

The set weights and penalties event is the headline act of the Flemington card which will also showcase another eight black-type races.

A total of nine Group 1 winners are among the field of 16 runners in the Turnbull Stakes, including the likes of Cups contenders Circle Of Fire, Warmonger and Place Du Carrousel along with proven weight-for-age performers Bois D’argent, Buckaroo, Via Sistina, Atishu and Huetor.

Rounding out the Group 1 winners is Kiwi galloper Sharp ‘N’ Smart while the likes of Eliyass and Young Werther add further interest to the event.

The field for the Turnbull Stakes is:

No. – Horse – Trainer – Jockey – Barrier – Weight

1 – CIRCLE OF FIRE – Ciaron Maher – John Allen – 11 – 58kg

2 – BOIS D’ARGENT – Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald – Jamie Mott – 14 – 58kg

3 – BUCKAROO – Chris Waller – Joao Moreira – 8 – 58kg

4 – VIA SISTINA – Chris Waller – Damian Lane – 12 – 57kg

5 – WARMONGER – Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) – Michael Dee – 10 – 57kg

6 – ELIYASS – Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott – Ethan Brown – 16 – 56.5kg

7 – ATISHU – Chris Waller – Mark Zahra – 5 – 56kg

8 – HUETOR – Peter Snowden – Koby Jennings – 6 – 56kg

9 – SHARP ‘N’ SMART – Graeme & Deborah Rogerson – Luke Currie – 13 – 55kg

10 – YOUNG WERTHER – Danny O’Brien – Jye McNeil – 2 – 55kg

11 – FRANCESCO GUARDI – Chris Waller – Craig Newitt – 1 – 55kg

12 – PLACE DU CARROUSEL – Anthony & Sam Freedman – Ben Melham – 4 – 55kg

13 – BANKERS CHOICE – Michael Moroney & Glen Thompson – Billy Egan – 15 – 55kg

14 – DUKE DE SESSA – Ciaron Maher – Declan Bates – 7 – 55kg

15 – KNIGHT’S CHOICE – John Symons & Sheila Laxon – Jordan Childs – 9 – 55kg

16 – VALIANT KING – Chris Waller – TBA – 3 – 55kg

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The Group 3 Bart Cummings (2500m) offers Melbourne Cup ballot exemption to the winner and a field of 16 plus four emergencies has been declared for the quality handicap.

There are four Group 2 races on the card – the three-year-old fillies’ clash in the Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) while the sprinting three-year-olds contest the Danehill Stakes (1200m) and the older sprinters face off in the Gilgai Stakes (1200m) with the mares’ contesting the Rose Of Kingston Stakes (1400m).

READ: SA trainer opts for Flemington return with Sghirripa

Melbourne’s first two-year-old race of the season will also be run with the babies clashing in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m).

The other two Listed races on the program are the Super Impose Stakes (1800m) for three-year-olds and the Paris Lane Stakes (1400m) for four-year-olds and upwards.

READ: WA trainer set to pull Ripcord in Melbourne

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The Flemington track was rated a good (4) at acceptance time. The rail will be in the 9-metre position on Saturday.

Saturday’s 10-race program commences at 12.25pm with the final event to be run at 5.40pm.

The Bureau Of Meteorology forecast for Melbourne is.
Wednesday – Mostly sunny. 18.

Thursday – Mostly sunny. 25.

Friday – Partly cloudy (90% chance of 2-10mm of rain). 23.

Saturday – Partly cloudy (80% chance of 1-6mm of rain). 21.

CLICK HERE to get the fields and formguide for Flemington meeting on Saturday.

Originally published as Nine Group 1 winners headline the Turnbull Stakes field