Suspensions to Damien Oliver and Ben Melham have forced connections of two key players in Saturday’s Edward Manifold Stakes to find new riders.

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Craig Williams rides Thousand Guineas second favourite Politeness in the Group Two Edward Manifold (1610m) at Flemington after Melham was suspended for careless riding at Mornington on Saturday.

Glen Boss will link with the Anthony Cummings-trained Wordplay after Oliver failed in his appeal on Monday against the severity of a careless riding ban from Friday night’s Moonee Valley meeting.

Wordplay has been sent to Melbourne for the Manifold which Cummings sees as a more winnable target than the Group One Flight Stakes in Sydney on Saturday against star filly Guelph.

Trainer Robert Smerdon, who prepares Politeness, also rates Guelph the benchmark heading towards the Thousand Guineas but took plenty of positives out of the Thousand Guineas Prelude performance from Politeness who was a fast-finishing third to Gregers and Marianne.

“I think she stood up to be counted and was quite good in the Prelude last start. There were a lot of positives,” Smerdon said.

“I think she lines up well with the best fillies around here.”

Politeness will be joined in Saturday’s race by stablemate Every Faith who is on a VRC Oaks path.

Every Faith, to be ridden by Mark Zahra, won a Seymour maiden two starts back before finishing second in a restricted race at Bendigo over 1500m, won by the Peter Moody-trained Metaphorical who is also nominated for the Manifold.

“She’s a progressive filly,” Smerdon said.

“She was a little bit unlucky at Bendigo. She didn’t get a clear crack at them and I think if she did she would have won the race.

“She is out of a Zabeel mare and she looks like she’ll enjoy the extra distance.”

Smerdon said Politeness might be sharper than Every Faith in Saturday’s event but said it would be interesting to see how the fillies performed getting to 1600m for the first time.

There are 17 nominations for the Manifold.

John O’Shea has entered Romantic Moon who was fifth in the Furious Stakes and Tea Rose Stakes in Sydney.

Wordplay, a half-sister to dual Group One winner Fiveandahalfstar, ran second to Savvy Nature in the Group Three Spring Stakes (1600m) at Newcastle last start.