Foxplay Sole Waller Hope in Light Fingers Stakes 2017 Field

Returning dual Group 2 winner Foxplay will be the only Chris Waller-trained filly lining-up in the 2017 Light Fingers Stakes field on Saturday after the highly-spruiked Omei Sword was not accepted for.

Foxplay returns to racing for trainer Chris Waller in the 2017 Light Fingers Stakes field in Sydney this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.

Runner-up in the Golden Rose last time in, Omei Sword has been labelled as one of the three-year-olds to watch this Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

Muscle soreness saw her scratched from last weekend’s Eskimo Prince Stakes and now her pending campaign is very much up in the air after she was the most notable omission from the $200,000 Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick this Saturday.

The premiership winning Waller stable will still be represented in the early autumn clash though by Foxwedge filly Foxplay drawn a treat in barrier three in the 14-starter field.

That is the same barrier as star stablemate Winx will jump from in her return at the meeting in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) and Hugh Bowman has the ride on both.

Foxplay took out the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) and Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) last September to give her an undefeated record at the Randwick track coming into Saturday.

She was last seen running a brave fourth at Caulfield in Melbourne’s Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) behind the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Global Glamour.

Winner also of Randwick’s Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) over the mile last spring, Star Witness filly Global Glamour has had two summer runs so far and is also accepted for the Light Fingers Stakes.

Her lead-up run was at the Gold Coast on January 14 when narrowly beaten for second behind Flying Jess in the $3 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m).

Joshua Parr comes aboard in place of Tim Clark this weekend, the filly drawn wide out in barrier 12.

Global Glamour is also a final acceptor to possibly take on the world’s best turf horse Winx in the Apollo Stakes field where she would carry only 53.5kg and weight-for-age and where she is draw gate one with Clark booked for the ride.

Should she run in the Apollo, Waterhouse & Bott’s sole Light Fingers Stakes starter will be the lightly-raced Long Time Ago.

Drawn in barrier two with Tommy Berry aboard, the promising Redoute’s Choice filly has had only two runs to date including a first-up January win at Wyong over 1200m.

Also drawn wide but attracting plenty of attention for her autumn return in the Light Fingers Stakes is the Garry Frazer-trained Spright in gate 10.

Corey Brown is down to ride the ultra-consistent daughter of Hinchinbrook who won all three of her spring starts last time in including the Group 3 Red Roses Stakes (1100m) at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

From three runs at Randwick Spright has enjoyed a black-type win by nearly three lengths and two thirds, a gun record ahead of her first-up run this weekend.

Other notable hopes in the race include the David Payne-trained Group 2 Reisling Stakes winner at the track last March French Fern (9), the flying John O’Shea-trained Gridelin (6) chasing a third win on the trot and the Les Bridge-trained stakes winner Zenalicious (14) drawn the outside alley.

Check out the complete Light Fingers Stakes 2017 field, barriers and jockeys below before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au for access to Odds Boost this weekend (T&Cs apply).

2017 Light Fingers Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Randwick Race 8 (4:25pm) – 11/02/2017