This afternoon’s San Domenico Stakes at Rosehill assembles a handy field of new season three-year-olds all striving to establish an early ascendancy.

A tricky race to assess, mainly due to fitness queries, Timeform ratings suggest Nostradamus or Ygritte should lead the field home if they maintain their juvenile ratings.

Nostradamus has always shown potential winning his first race start down the straight at Flemington over 1100m in mid-January then having no luck in the Blue Diamond Prelude and Blue Diamond Stakes respectively.

While the form from his debut win has not reached any great heights, his Blue Diamond runs tell a different story.

In the Prelude he was fourth behind crack juvenile Rubick over 1100m at Caulfield but has zero luck during the race. Forced to go back from 16 barrier he settled second last early improving to eleventh on the turn before showing a great turn of foot to finish fourth beaten two lengths.

That effort was good enough to have him in the market for the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes behind quality youngsters Earthquake and Rubick.

Once again Nostradamus fared badly in the barrier draw and although jumping well was never able to settle or hold a position gradually easy back to ninth on the home turn. Again he worked home strongly beaten just over three lengths behind Earthquake.

We should see a much stronger and more experienced Nostradamus appear this afternoon and although the 1100m is bound to be short of his best, I believe it should be perfect for him fresh up.

Team Hawkes has an abundance of riches for the Spring, Nostradamus being just one of their jewels who has been well prepared for his assignment today with a sharp barrier trial win at Hawkesbury earlier this week.

Nostradamus should have enough pace to be handy in the run and prove too strong in the closing stages but he will not have an easy time of it should Ygritte also turn up where she left off as a juvenile.

Prepared by Gerald Ryan who was expected to have a mortgage on this race with Rubick who has been sidelined through a virus, Ygritte is a serious back up option.

The filly has raced four times for a win and three placings but has not trialled since running second to Eloping over 1200m at Randwick in the G3 Randwick Stakes.

On that occasion she had the perfect run behind the speed on the fence but just failed to reel in the leader when produced in the closing stages.

Prior to that she had been placed in Melbourne in the Breeders Stakes at Flemington behind Clifton Red.

Ygritte has drawn well again this afternoon and although she has not trialled coming into the race, it has to be assumed she is ready to run well, Ryan being a perfectionist at producing his young horses ready to win first up from a spell.

Another youngster that looks set to mature at three is Ygrette’s stablemate Washington Heights.

This well-bred galloper by Commands has raced just once for an eye catching second behind the highly talented Hallowed Crown over 1200m at Randwick in the G3 Kindergarten Stakes.

On that occasion he was all at sea early, beaten for speed he settled last and was similarly placed turning for home.

Even though the race tempo favoured the back markers, his effort to make up many lengths in the home stretch was full of merit and stamped him as a galloper with plenty to offer.

This afternoon’s trip of 1100m could be a shade short for him but unlike his stablemate, Ryan has barrier trialled Washington Heights over 900m leading into the race.

Watch out for Washington Heights late.

Like the Ryan stable, Team Hawkes will also have dual runners, also being represented by the handy galloper Bugatty.

This fellow is somewhat forgotten in the field but has plenty of talent has evidenced by his form when last in work that included a five length defeat against older horses behind Snitzerland in the G1 Lightning Stakes.

Bugatty has raced once since a spell in June on a very heavy track at Sandown when he finished a well beaten sixth, the run best overlooked.

Since then Team Hawkes has sent him around in a recent barrier trial at Rosehill that he won in a canter, signalling he will certainly run much better this afternoon.

Other chances in a very deep race include Law and Wandjina.

While it is hard to gauge the fitness levels of many of these young galloper starting off their three-year-old careers, there does appear to be excellent depth and I expect the class of Nostradamus is sufficient to get him home, provided there is no change in the dead rated track condition prior to post time.

Enjoy the race.