Japonisme Leads 2016 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint Field

Chris Waller’s Group 1 winning youngster Japonisme is the headline final acceptor for Saturday’s Arrowfield 3YO Sprint 2016 field and is out to emulate stablemate Delectation with a win in the Royal Randwick classic.

Japonisme heads the 2016 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint field at Randwick Racecourse this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.

Last Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival Waller’s subsequent Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m) winner Delectation (2015) narrowly won the $500,000 Group 2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (1200m), a race another star from the stable is out to take out again this weekend.

Due to run as Royal Randwick Race 5 at 1:55pm (AEDT) on Day 2 of ‘The Championships’, this year’s Arrowfield 3YO Sprint field is at capacity with 14 runners plus an emergency in the Bryce Heys-trained Spieth (5).

Sitting top of the line-up and the likely Arrowfield 3YO Sprint betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au is Choisir gelding Japonisme who won the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) down the Flemington straight during the spring.

He has had three runs since this time in all in Group 1 open-age class and is back against his own kind for the first time on Saturday.

Japonisme returned with a devastatingly close second to subsequent TJ Smith Stakes champion Chautauqua in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) on February 20 before a fifth, defeated only 1.25 lengths, in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) by upset winner The Quarterback.

He then went to Moonee Valley under the lights on March 24 for a third, beaten only a long neck by Flamberge in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m).

Now he backs-up at Randwick in an easier field over his pet distance for last year’s winning trainer, last weekend’s Doncaster Mile winning jockey Hugh Bowman riding Japonisme from barrier seven in the Arrowfield.

Waller has also accepted for Counterattack who Craig Williams is booked to ride from gate nine, possibly into eight, third-up on the weekend.

Third to Japonisme in the Coolmore Stud Classic last Melbourne Cup Carnival, Redoute’s Choice colt Counterattack was last seen finishing 1.4 lengths away fifth to Southern Legend in the Listed Darby Munro Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on March 19.

He has a better record at Randwick with two wins, two seconds and a third from six starts at the track, the third coming two back behind Spill The Beans on February 6 in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m).

After Japonisme, the other highest-rated Arrowfield 3YO Sprint acceptor this season is the Gerald Ryan-trained Kinglike.

The son of Exceed And Excel ran a nice first-up second to English in Randwick’s Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) before he failed to make an impression running last in the William Reid.

Back in three-year-old company in Sydney he is also back in contention to return to winning form with his first victory since Flemington’s Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) in September last year.

Kerrin McEvoy rides the colt on Saturday from a nice barrier three draw, while Ryan has also accepted for the aforementioned Spill The Beans drawn one closer to the fence with gate two.

A son of Snitzel, Spill The Beans won the Eskimo Prince Stakes first-up before his fourth on February 20 behind Press Statement in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m).

He drops back to 1200m on the weekend, a distance he has two wins and a second from four starts over, and comes off a second in a Rosehill trial over 1030m from late last month.

There are two last start winners in the field with the Darren Weir-trained Stellar Collision who saluted over 1200m at Moonee Valley on William Reid Stakes Night and classy filly Petits Filous.

Prepared at Caulfield by Ciaron Maher, Petits Filous is a consistent young daughter of Street Boss who has won five of her six career starts to date.

She is yet to race in Sydney, but comes off a good 1100m win at home from March 26 carrying four kilos more than her 54.5kg at set weights in the Arrowfield.

A total of four fillies take on the boys in the race this year, another notable and consistent one being the John O’Shea-trained Ghisoni.

Ghisoni is well-bred being a Godolphin-raced daughter of Lonhro and she has won three of her four starts so far including the Group 2 Surround Stakes (1400m) in her only Randwick assignment.

She went to Rosehill on March 12 and was far from disgraced in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) against the older mares running sixth, beaten under two and a half lengths.

See below for the full Arrowfield 3YO Sprint 2016 field, barriers and jockeys with fixed win odds to open shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au – home of the $500 first time depositors’ bonus with use of the code BETBONUS!

2016 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint Final Field & Barrier Draw

Randwick Race 5 (1:55pm) – 09/04/2016