Rain Affair is poised to deliver Corey Brown his third Expressway Stakes victory in as many years.
But to claim the hat-trick, Brown must first topple the two horses who have given him his recent successes in the Group Two sprint.
Brown steered Rangirangdoo to victory two years ago before going back-to-back aboard Centennial Park last year.
Both geldings will resume in Saturday’s renewal of the 1200-metre race with Blake Shinn to ride Rangirangdoo and Nash Rawiller aboard Centennial Park.
Brown has stuck with Rain Affair, the $1.65 early favourite with TAB Sportsbet, but the top jockey’s past winners could come back to haunt him.
Rangirangdoo has been off the scene for almost a year but is high-class and has only missed a place twice in 21 starts.
Centennial Park has a great record fresh, winning half of his six first-up runs.
Trainer David Payne believes he has returned in similar condition to 12 months when he downed Love Conquers All and Hot Danish to win the Expressway.
“I think he is going just as well,” Payne said.
“We will pick out some weight-for-age races for him over the autumn.
“We’ve put him in the Doncaster so we’ll see how he goes.”
Payne will also saddle up Winter King who will be ridden by Glyn Schofield.
The five-year-old almost pulled off a major boilover in the Missile Stakes first-up last campaign when he was sent out at $61 and ran Rain Affair to a short half-head.
Like Centennial Park, Winter King has an impressive fresh record.
However, Payne cautioned that Winter King was taking longer to come to hand this time.
“He will be thereabouts but he might be a bit further behind him (Rain Affair),” Payne said.
“He’s had a longer spell. He might need the run.
“But he looks well and he won’t mind the cut out of the ground.”
A field of nine was paid up for the Expressway (1200m) including the Chris Waller-trained trio of Rangirangdoo, Shoot Out and Danleigh.
Strike The Stars will be the only three-year-old runner with connections of Manawanui electing to save him for the Royal Sovereign Stakes on Saturday week.
The Expressway is the highlight of a bumper afternoon at Rosehill with 11 events programmed.
The Australian Turf Club added races to accommodate horses who missed vital runs as a result of the Warwick Farm program being washed out last weekend.
AAP TURF
