Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott’s last start December Handicap winner Ecuador is among the early entries for the Carrington Stakes 2017 at Randwick Racecourse on Saturday.

Ecuador is the highest-rated of the 2017 Carrington Stakes nominations for Randwick on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.
Just ten horses are currently entered for the $150,000 Listed Carrington Stakes (1400m), Racing NSW extending nominations until 11am (AEDT) on Tuesday.
The highest-rated of the current nominees is seven-year-old High Chaparral gelding Ecuador who comes off a first-up December Handicap (1400m) win at Rosehill under a hefty 62kg.
The horse has stellar 1400m form with three wins and two seconds from six previous runs over the distance he gets again on Saturday chasing his third career stakes success.
Also coming off a Sydney win is the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Gold Symphony who saluted over 1400m in a Benchmark 92 at Warwick Farm on January 7.
The four-year-old son of Reward For Effort improved notably off a first-up 11th at Rosehill on Christmas Eve and should be peaking three runs in as he steps up in class.
Team Snowden have also nominated for Fast ‘N’ Famous five-year-old Princefamous who is yet to race over further than 1300m.
He won first-up in November defeating Kuro before returning to the track on December 3 running third in the Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m).
Last time out the gelding failed to impress from out wide when 11th to Le Cordon Bleu in the Listed Canterbury Classic (1200m) on New Year’s Eve, a run he is out to atone for if accepted for on Saturday.
Peter Robl has entered his highly-rated Fastnet Rock seven-year-old Ninth Legion who comes off a second behind Most Important at Eagle Farm late last month.
His run in the Goldmarket Handicap was brave under 59kg from the outside alley (13 of 13), the 50 start veteran looking for his first win since the Listed Civic Stakes (1350m) in July of last year.
Wyong trainer Kim Waugh has two nominees with Oxford Poet and Shiraz both in the Carrington Stakes mix this Sydney Summer Racing Carnival.
Dylan Thomas six-year-old Oxford Poet has been very consistent over the past season including a Winter Stakes win from mid-July and a first-up third over 1000m at Warwick Farm in the Summer Sprint carrying 61kg on January 7.
Stablemate Shiraz is a seven-year-old son of Zariz who hasn’t won a race since Randwick’s Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) back in September of 2015.
It has been a long time between drinks for the sprinter however he caught the eye last autumn when runner-up in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) and is out to improve on a last start Canterbury Classic ninth.
Other notable nominees include the Gerald Ryan-trained Dances On Stars and Wouldnt It Be Nice for Paul Perry.
See below for the current Carrington Stakes 2017 nominations, the final field and barriers out on Wednesday followed by markets at Ladbrokes.com.au – the home of Odds Boost (T&Cs apply).
2017 Carrington Stakes Nominations
Randwick Racecourse – 21/01/2017
# | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | H. Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 8090×06367 | DANCES ON STARS (NZ) | G | 7 | Gerald Ryan | 90 |
2 | x6706116x1 | ECUADOR (NZ) | G | 7 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 110 |
3 | 00x4984x01 | GOLD SYMPHONY | G | 4 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 85 |
4 | 4497x000x6 | HEART TESTA | G | 7 | Matthew Smith | 90 |
5 | 113×568742 | NINTH LEGION | G | 7 | Peter Robl | 103 |
6 | x2351237x3 | OXFORD POET | G | 6 | Kim Waugh | 97 |
7 | 80x470x130 | PRINCEFAMOUS (NZ) | G | 5 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 89 |
8 | 2264118257 | QUANTRILL | G | 4 | Matthew Smith | 74 |
9 | 420x70x059 | SHIRAZ | G | 7 | Kim Waugh | 101 |
10 | 4576247×27 | WOULDNT IT BE NICE | G | 6 | Paul Perry | 91 |