James McDonald, one of the top jockeys in the world, will face a challenging test of his horse judgment as he rides River Of Stars in the Tancred Stakes at Rosehill.
River Of Stars is one of six runners for trainer Chris Waller and one of two European imports owned by Yulong making their Australian debut in the race.
Assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth revealed McDonald had the option to ride any of the runners but chose River Of Stars after galloping her twice in quarantine and again on Tuesday.
“J Mac went with his gut instinct,” Duckworth said. “He felt she got over the flight better than stablemate Zarir.”
Both River Of Stars and Zarir are seasoned stayers with Group 1 placings overseas.
Joining them in Saturday’s field are stablemate Land Legend, 2022 New Zealand Derby winner Asterix, and former Europeans Zechariah and Kinesiology, both in their second Australian campaigns.
Zechariah, who was unlucky in his last start in the Randwick City Stakes (2000m), is hoping for better luck this time around.
Duckworth believes the race distance and conditions, especially the rain, will suit his horses’ staying ability.
All six Waller runners are also entered for the Sydney Cup (3200m) and are listed at $26 or less with online betting sites.