Dual defending champion The Cleaner is among the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes 2016 nominations for the feature race at Moonee Valley Racecourse this weekend in Melbourne.

The Cleaner chases a third win in as many years in Saturday’s 2016 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Formerly prepared in Tasmania by Mick Burles, veteran Savoire Vivre nine-year-old The Cleaner is now prepared at Moe by Peter Gelagotis.

He debuted for his new trainer on August 13 at Caulfield for a disappointing 11^th, beaten three and a half lengths in the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m).

The popular old warhorse is now nominated for a second-up run at Moonee Valley, where he has an outstanding record that includes five wins from nine starts (9-5-1-1), in Saturday’s $250,000 Group 2 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m).

The Cleaner has won the past two editions of the weight-for-age mile feature and is out to make history with a third on the trot this weekend for his first victory since last year’s edition of the Dato’.

It is shaping up as an intriguing edition to one of the traditional 2016 Cox Plate lead-ups with Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes nominations attracted a total of 16 hopefuls including Tavago.

The Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young-trained Kiwi raider scratched out of his original first-up assignment last weekend after pulling a tooth and going off his feed before the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m).

A four-year-old son of Tavistock, Tavago was last seen winning Sydney’s Group 1 ATC Derby (2400m) at Randwick in April and is heading towards a run in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) over that same mile and a half distance on October 15.

Two other headline Dato’ entries racing first-up if accepted are the Robert Hickmott-trained The United States and Real Love for Darren Weir.

Imported Galileo stallion The United States won the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) in the autumn and was last seen crossing second to Lucia Valentina in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on April 9.

The now seven-year-old is still only lightly-raced for his age with 17 runs for six wins to date and has won three of his eight first-up assignments.

Real Love is a six-year-old daughter of Desert King, the former Perth-trained mare and Perth Cup winner last seen crossing sixth in the Group 2 Brisbane Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm in June.

Melbourne Cup winning horseman Weir has a total of five Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes nominations this season including also Mahuta.

The Flying Spur four-year-old raced only last weekend when third to stablemate Black Heart Bart in the Memsie Stakes and is likely to back-up on the short seven day turnaround.

Weir’s contingent also includes Royal Rapture coming off three straight wins including a three length effort over 1500m at Moonee Valley a fortnight back, Spring Cups’ bound Signoff and Japanese raider Tosen Stardom.

Tosen Stardom is no stranger to racing in Australia having run second to Contributer in the Ranvet Stakes and fifth to Criterion in that year’s Queen Elizabeth.

The form line to follow into the race meanwhile could be that of the P.B. Lawrence Stakes, won by Miss Rose De Lago who is among the headline Dato’ Tan Chin Nam nominees.

Prepared by Danny O’Brien, the Encosta De Lago mare won the Lawrence by a half-length and her last Moonee Valley run produced a big 2.75 length win in the Group 2 Sunline Stakes (1600m) in late March.

Also out of the P.B. Lawrence Stakes nominated for Saturday’s rematch are runner-up Jacquinot Bay and the Team Hawkes-trained third placegetter Entirely Platinum.

Both Jacquinot Bay and Entirely Platinum are both also nominated for a possible Sydney run against Winx at Royal Randwick on Saturday in the $250,000 Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m).

See below for the official Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes 2016 nominations, the final field and betting odds from Ladbrokes.com.au due out on Wednesday.

2016 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes Nominations

Moonee Valley Racecourse – 03/09/2016