Group 1 winner Microphone looks a hard to beat favourite in 2020 Hobartville Stakes betting for the Sydney feature race this weekend.

Autumn Stakes winner Microphone is a hard to beat favourite in Sydney’s 2020 Hobartville Stakes on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

A field of Randwick Guineas-bound three-year-olds face off in the Group 2 $400,000 Arrowfield Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Following the early scratching of the lightly raced Team Hawkes-trained Spend, the Hobartville Stakes line-up is down to 11 runners eyeing a next-up assignment in the Group 1 $1 million Randwick Guineas (1600m).

From 2013 – 2019 all seven Randwick Guineas winners were graduates out of the Hobartville Stakes, including four to do the double: Dissident (2014), Hallowed Crown (2015), Kementari (2018) and The Autumn Sun (2019).

Favourite to take out the first leg leading Hobartville Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au is the in-form James Cummings-trained Exceed And Excel colt Microphone.

The Godolphin-raced star has been backed in from $3.50 to $3.10 to salute third-up boasting the fitness edge over his rivals after two good lead-up runs in Melbourne.

Undefeated over the 1400m including his Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes victory over Loving Gaby last April, Microphone was last seen scoring an impressive win carrying 59.5kg in the Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 8.

Back to 56.5kg at set weights this weekend with Hugh Bowman aboard in gate 10 and the top fancy certainly looks hard to bet against.

Bowman meanwhile chases his fifth Hobartville Stakes victory in 16 years following his previous wins aboard: Outback Prince (2005), Mutawaajid (2007), Hallowed Crown (2015) and Press Statement (2016).

There is no shortage of resuming stars in the Hobartville Stakes field this year who are sure to improve on whatever they do first-up looking ahead to the longer distance features of the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

Among the dangers at $4.60 is the second elect in Hobartville Stakes odds, the Richard Litt-trained Castelvecchio.

Drawn gate six with last year’s winning hoop Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle, talented Dundeel colt Castelvecchio chases his first victory since the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick over Loving Gaby last April.

His latest two runs from last October both produced eye-catching seconds when beaten home by Shadow Hero in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick and then the gun Japanese galloper Lys Gracieux in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley.

A further two Randwick Guineas hopefuls are under $10 for the win with Kubrick ($6) and the aforementioned Spring Champion Stakes winner Shadow Hero ($7) also kicking off their autumn campaigns in the Hobartville Stakes.

Trainer Chris Waller has won two of the past four runnings with Press Statement (2016) and The Autumn Sun (2019), the latter going on to do the Randwick Guineas – Rosehill Guineas double.

Waller has three in the field this year led by Kubrick who was last seen winning the $1 million Bondi Stakes (1600m) at Randwick last October.

Bondi Stakes runner-up Pancho ($21), a subsequent black-type winner at Flemington over the Cup Carnival, and last winter’s JJ Atkins third placed Snitzel colt Reloaded ($13) round-out the Waller contingent.

As for Shadow Hero, the Mark Newnham-trained Pierro gelding looks a definite danger fresh looking to atone for his distant fifth to Warning in the Group 1 VRC Derby (2500m).

Warning is also in the mix as a $12 chance first-up for Anthony Freedman likely needing more distance to perform his best.

Click here for the latest Hobartville Stakes 2020 odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2020 Hobartville Stakes Field & Barriers