2016 Birthday Card Stakes Field & Barriers: Savoureux Draws Wide

Kris Lees’ last start Wenona Girl Handicap winner Savoureux backs up on Golden Slipper Stakes Day in Sydney on Saturday out to overcome a horror draw in the Birthday Card Stakes 2016 at Rosehill Gardens.

Wenona Girl Handicap winner Savoureux has the second widest gate to overcome in a full 2016 Birthday Card Stakes field at Rosehill on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.

The original card closer at the meeting before a 10^th race – the Group 3 Newcastle Newmarket Handicap was added after being a wash out on Wednesday – the $150,000 Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) runs as Rosehill Race 9 at 5:50pm (AEDT).

A full field of 18 fillies and mares plus a single emergency face off in the handicap sprint this Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival where the Newcastle-trained Savoureux has the second widest barrier.

Tommy Berry retains the ride on the in-form four-year-old daughter of Nadeem who improved on a third to Sultry Feeling in the Group 3 Triscay Stakes (1200m) in mid-February to win the Group 3 Wenona Girl Handicap (1200m) a fortnight back.

She carried 54kg to victory that day but goes up to 55.5kg on Saturday from the nasty gate.

Lees has a total of three chances in this year’s Birthday Card Stakes field having also accepted for last start runner-up at the track Brook Road and Onemorezeta to be ridden by Christian Reith.

Heading the Birthday Card Stakes weights with a hefty 59kg is the David Pfieffer-trained Cradle Me who is draw better in a gun gate two draw for jockey Jason Collett.

Collett rose the Easy Rocking seven-year-old for her first-up fifth in the Wenona Girl on the same weight, the veteran mare having won back-to-back Randwick Listed races before that in December.

Following with 57.5kg each are then Hugh Bowman’s mount Griante who is down in class after a 12^th beaten four lengths by Flamberge in Caulfield’s Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) on February 27 and the Lee & Shannon Hope-trained Street Cry four-year-old Pittsburgh Flyer.

Pittsburgh Flyer is another Oakleigh Plate graduate from Melbourne having run a brave fourth beaten under a length by the winner in her first run since the Group 3 G.H. Mumm Stakes (1100m) win in the wet at Flemington during November’s Melbourne Cup Carnival.

She has the outside alley in the Birthday Card Stakes however and she is also accepted as the first emergency to take Flamberge on again in the $700,000 Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) on Saturday the race before the Birthday Card Stakes.

Flamberge’s trainer Peter Moody has two acceptors in the Birthday Card Stakes this year with Sebring four-year-old Bring Me The Maid in barrier four and Noela’s Choice in 12.

Other notable hopes include the returning Two Blue whose last start was a Group 2 second behind last weekend’s Group 1 Coolmore Classic winner Peeping at the track last September and the James Cummings-trained Triscay Stakes winner Sultry Feeling for last year’s winning stable.

Also coming off a last start Randwick win is the Gerald Ryan-trained Snitzel filly Perignon, the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) third placegetter from the spring winning the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) first-up on February 13.

Check out the full Birthday Card Stakes 2016 field, barriers, jockeys and weights below then head to Ladbrokes.com.au where first time depositing players only need to quote the code BETBONUS to enjoy up to $500 in match deposit bonus bets!

2016 Birthday Card Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Rosehill Race 9 (5:50pm) – 19/03/2016