2016 Theo Marks Stakes Nominations Feature Tycoon Tara

Peter & Paul Snowden’s in-form mare Tycoon Tara is one of the headline entries among the Theo Marks Stakes 2016 nominations on Golden Rose Stakes Day in Sydney this weekend.

Show County Quality winner Tycoon Tara is nominated for the 2016 Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill Racecourse this Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.

Three Group features support the Golden Rose at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday including the $200,000 Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m), won last Sydney Spring Racing Carnival by superstar mare Winx.

This year Written Tycoon six-year-old Tycoon Tara will be out to go back-to-back for the mares and chases her third win on the trot if accepted.

First-up she won the Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) in the mud at Randwick before she returned to the track on August 20 for a win over Le Romain in the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m).

Saturday will be her first run at Rosehill, but she has a strong three-from-four record over the Theo Marks Stakes distance and is in imposing form.

Last year’s winning trainer Chris Waller has three nominees this season including the returning Counterattack.

A now four-year-old son of Redoute’s Choice, the stallion hasn’t raced since his seventh to Under The Louvre at Eagle Farm on June 11 in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).

Before that he was in exciting form running second to stablemate Japonisme in the Group 2 Arrowfield 3YO Stakes (1200m) at Randwick and winning Brisbane’s Group 3 Fred Best Classic (1350m).

He has trialled twice since the Stradbroke including a 900m Rosehill win over 900m on August 30.

Waller’s other possible Theo Marks Stakes hopes are fellow new-season four-year-olds Mackintosh and Vanbrugh.

Pins gelding Mackintosh won three on the trot during an autumn – winter prep including the Group 3 Rough Habit Stakes (2000m) – Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes (2000m) double at Doomben.

Things came undone however when he walked home over 34 lengths off the winner Eagle Way in the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) on Stradbroke Day, a run he’ll be out to improve on first-up this weekend.

Vanbrugh will have the fitness edge over Mackintosh having resumed on August 20 for a fifth behind his superstar stablemate Winx in the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m).

He is yet to place from three second-up runs to date, but has class proven by his Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) victory last October.

The highest rated of the Theo Marks Stakes nominations is the Gary Portelli-trained Rebel Dane who is third-up on Saturday.

A seven-year-old California Dane stallion, Rebel Dane was second first-up to Tycoon Tara in the Missile Stakes before chasing home Winx for third three weeks back in the Warwick Stakes.

He has a strong Rosehill record of three wins and a second from six previous starts at the track, is also two-from three over the distance and is another Group 1 winner from back in 2013.

Plenty of other livewire hopes come off good lead-up form including the Tim Martin-trained Toy Show Quality fourth-placed mare Heavens Above, Show County fourth placegetter Messene for Team Hawkes and the Kim Waugh-trained Oxford Poet.

See below for the full Theo Marks Stakes 2016 nominations, the field and barriers for which are due for release on Wednesday followed by betting at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2016 Theo Marks Stakes Nominations

Rosehill Racecourse – 10/09/2016