Early betting moves point to last start winner Kontiki Park being the leading choice of the Gai Waterhouse stable in the $100,000 Festival Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.
Waterhouse, currently enjoying a New York holiday, will also start the topweight King Lionheart in the traditional lead-up to the $175,000 Villiers Stakes over 1600m at Warwick Farm on December 18.
King Lionheart, to be ridden by stable number one Nash Rawiller, opened shorter in the Festival Stakes market at $6 with Kontiki Park at $9 despite his excellent first-up win over 1400m at Warwick Farm on November 19 when he beat Circle Of Power.
Early price takers obviously respect that form as TAB Sportsbet reports good support for both Kontiki Park and Circle Of Gold in the last 24 hours.
Kontiki Park has firmed to $8.50 while Circle Of Power, after opening at $16 is now a $14 chance behind easing favourite Liteinthenite ($5 out to $5.50).
King Lionheart remains solid at $6 in the early betting in respect to Rawiller taking over as his rider after the gelding has been ridden in his four starts since resuming by Tommy Berry.
Rawiller last rode King Lionheart when he won over 2200m at Warwick Farm in March.
He has had a freshen up since his last start when 15th in the G1 Epsom Handicap at Randwick on October 1 but trialled well when second in a 1200m heat at Randwick on November 18 and boasts a strong first-up record of two wins from three starts.
King Lionheart started his spring campaign with a first-up win over Saturday's course an distance and made it a double at his next start when he beat stablemate Fast Clip in the G2 Shannon Stakes.
Rawiller's only other mount for Waterhouse on Saturday is Merensky Reef with last season’s premiership winner taking the opportunity to ride for a variety of other stables.
His mounts include Muswellbrook-trained sprinter Jest Crewsin, Queensland visitor Mr Slick, John O'Shea's talented mare Miss Marx and Fundido, the highly regarded first starter from the Chris Waller stable.
Jest Crewsin' has been flying in barrier trials with wins at Scone on November 13 and Muswellbrook by six lengths on Monday.
He will clash with the resuming Canberra-trained sprinter Unanimously, who has been the best supported horse on the Rosehill program fiming from $3.20 to $2.70 in the Blackwood Gearwrench Handicap.
TAB Sportsbet has taken bets of $1000 @ $3.20, $1000 @ $3.00 and $1100 @ $2.90 twice on Unanimously.
Lonhro colt Fundido's trial form is also impressive, recording a big eight lengths win in a Rosehill heat over 900m on November 22.
Fundido will clash with Hugh Bowman's mount Lyric, the boom first starter from the Peter Snowden yard who also made a big impression winning his 800m trial at Warwick farm on November 15.
Bowman will also ride for the Waller stable on Saturday with his mounts including Altered Boy in the Festival Stakes and Dynamic Honour, who will be chasing a treble of wins in the BM 71 over 1400m.
Bowman has made an interesting switch in the Festival Stakes as he rode Altered Boy's stablemate Tromso at his latest start when he finished strongly for sixth behind Kontiki Park at Warwick Farm.
Altered Boy finished eighth in the same race, ironically with Rawiller as his rider.
Daniel Ganderton has taken the ride on Tromso, who races best at Rosehill on firm ground.
