Chipping Norton Stakes

Sydney’s picturesque Warwick Farm Racecourse is gearing up for this Saturday when the coveted Chipping Norton Stakes Day will take place. The Chipping Norton Stakes has been run at the Royal Randwick for the past two years, but returns to Warwick Farm this year.

The headline race of the day will be the $300, 000 Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m), with the weight-for-age feature attracting an above capacity field of 17 nominations this year.

Top class nominees for the 2010 Chipping Norton Stakes include the Bart Cummings-trained Roman Emperor, the Lee Freedman-trained Speed Gifted, Alcopop and two elite gallopers from Chris Waller Danleigh and Rangirangdoo.

Six-year-old Montjeu gelding Speed Gifted will be having his first start since a dismal second last placing in last October’s Cox Plate with Freedman hoping the well deserved spell will have improved Speed Gifted’s form.

There is a lot of attention on last-start Apollo Stakes winner Danleigh, the six-year-old gelding set for a rematch with stablemate Rangirangdoo, who ran second in the Apollo Stakes.

Randwick trainer Gai Waterhouse is aiming for her sixth Chipping Norton Stakes win with her Danewin gelding Theseo due to be ridden by in-form hoop Nash Rawiller. Waterhouse also has Rock Kingdom nominated for Saturday’s feature.

The final field of 16 horses for the 2010 Chipping Norton Stakes will be announced later in the week and published here.

2010 Chipping Norton Stakes Nominations: