Early nominations for a number of upcoming Group 1 features at the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival were released yesterday including those for the $500,000 AJC Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) taking place at Randwick’s Australian Derby Day on Saturday April 9, 2011.

The 2011 AJC Sires Produce Stakes has attracted 112 two-year-olds at nomination stage, Golden Slipper favourite and Blue Diamond Stakes champion Sepoy leading the list of entries.

Unbeaten Elusive Quality colt Sepoy scored an emphatic 4 ½ length victory in the $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes last start at Caulfield on February 26, boosting the Darley-owned two-year-olds’ career record to four wins from as many starts.

Sepoy is now the raging favourite to win the 2011 Golden Slipper Stakes at Rosehill on April 2, sitting at a quote of around $2.40 in the Golden Slipper odds at Luxbet.

Snowden has also nominated 10 other juveniles along with Sepoy for the 2011 AJC Sires Produce Stakes, his other most notable entry being Exceed And Excel colt Helmet.

Unbeaten in their two starts this season, Helmet is set to contest the Group 2 VRC Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Flemington’s Super Saturday of Racing this weekend in the lead-up to the Group 1 feature next month.

The other top-rated nominees for this year’s AJC Sires Produce Stakes are undefeated fillies and fellow Golden Slipper fancies Karuta Queen and Satin Shoes.

The promising youngsters that ran third and fourth behind the stunning Sepoy in the 2011 Blue Diamond Stakes, the Danny O’Brien-trained Masthead and Peter Moody’s improving filly Metonymy are also among the AJC Sires Produce Stakes nominations.

Other Leading 2011 AJC Sires Produce Stakes Nominations Include:

• Pane In The Glass (John P Thompson) – Unbeaten Testa Rossa filly most recently won the Inglis Classic by an impressive six lengths on January 22
• Covered In Class (Peter G Moody) – Exceed And Excel colt ran third in the Listed Talindert Stakes last start at Flemington on February 19
• Fortune Of War (David Hayes) – General Nediym filly ran third on debut in the Listed Streets Ice Cream Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on March 5, beaten just a short-head by Golden Archer
• Foxwedge (John O’Shea) – Up-and-coming Fastent Rock colt scored their second career win last Saturday at Warwick Farm emerging as a Golden Slipper prospect
• Running Tall (Danny O’Brien) – Stratum colt second in the Blue Diamond Prelude before finishing seventh in the main event

Nominations for the $1.5 million Group 1 AJC Australian Derby (2400m) were also taken yesterday with 72 three-year-olds entered for the event including last Saturday’s Australian Guineas winner Shamrocker and third placegetter Playing God.

Final fields for all the Australian Derby Day 2011 races, including the acceptances for the AJC Sires Produce Stakes, will be released on Wednesday April 6 and published here first at Races.com.au.

Now is the time to sign up with premier online bookmaker Luxbet who will have the best futures markets on the AJC Sires Produce Stakes and Australian Derby odds opening shortly!

2011 AJC Sires Produce Stakes Nominations