A field of nine runners will line up in Saturday’s Group 2 $400,000 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield trying to secure a place in the MRC’s Everest slot.
Trekking, above, is included in the final fields for the 2019 Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Steve Hart.
The Melbourne Racing Club joined forces with the Australian Turf Club and after acquiring a slot in the 2019 $14m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday, announced that the winner of the Schillaci Stakes will be offered their slot.
A field of nine likely Everest contenders have accepted for the Schillaci Stakes with the major notable omission being the Chris Waller trained Nature Strip.
Nature Strip bounced back into contention for The Everest with a gutsy win in the Group 1 $1m Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley on September 27 but no official announcement has been made as to the brilliant sprinter being allocated a slot.
The Everest slot owned by Chris Waller Racing became vacant with the announcement that the original runner for the slot, the West Australian owned Enticing Star, had been retired and won’t be running in The Everest.
Group 1 winners Trekking, The Bostonian, Despatch and Booker are included in the Schillaci Stakes field as well as veteran sprinter Ball Of Muscle who has been given the number one saddlecloth.
Godolphin trainer James Cummings will saddle up two runners in the Schillaci Stakes and as well as Trekking, will see Virdine vie for a slot in The Everest.
Final field for the 2019 Schillaci Stakes (1100m)
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Weight | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1101x19x30 | BALL OF MUSCLE | Joseph Pride | Craig Williams | 58.5kg | 109 |
| 2 | 94x41131x8 | TREKKING | James Cummings | Kerrin McEvoy | 58.5kg | 112 |
| 3 | 7525x110x9 | THE BOSTONIAN (NZ) | Tony Pike | Damian Lane | 58.5kg | 114 |
| 4 | x11110x450 | DESPATCH | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | James McDonald | 58.5kg | 106 |
| 5 | 1395×66320 | REBEL KING | Darren Mcauliffe | – | 58.5kg | 98 |
| 6 | 0x304146x0 | VIRIDINE | James Cummings | Hugh Bowman | 58.5kg | 104 |
| 7 | 1614174×45 | ASHLOR | Dan McCarthy | Daniel Stackhouse | 58.5kg | 97 |
| 8 | x14025x225 | BONS AWAY | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Mark Zahra | 58.5kg | 103 |
| 9 | 82x19x0x80 | BOOKER | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | Damien Oliver | 56.5kg | 108 |
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