A field of nine runners will line up in Saturday’s Group 2 $400,000 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield trying to secure a place in the MRC’s Everest slot.

Trekking, above, is included in the final fields for the 2019 Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Steve Hart.

Trekking, above, is included in the final fields for the 2019 Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Steve Hart.

The Melbourne Racing Club joined forces with the Australian Turf Club and after acquiring a slot in the 2019 $14m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday, announced that the winner of the Schillaci Stakes will be offered their slot.

A field of nine likely Everest contenders have accepted for the Schillaci Stakes with the major notable omission being the Chris Waller trained Nature Strip.

Nature Strip bounced back into contention for The Everest with a gutsy win in the Group 1 $1m Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley on September 27 but no official announcement has been made as to the brilliant sprinter being allocated a slot.

The Everest slot owned by Chris Waller Racing became vacant with the announcement that the original runner for the slot, the West Australian owned Enticing Star, had been retired and won’t be running in The Everest.

Group 1 winners Trekking, The Bostonian, Despatch and Booker are included in the Schillaci Stakes field as well as veteran sprinter Ball Of Muscle who has been given the number one saddlecloth.

Godolphin trainer James Cummings will saddle up two runners in the Schillaci Stakes and as well as Trekking, will see Virdine vie for a slot in The Everest.

Final field for the 2019 Schillaci Stakes (1100m)

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Weight Hcp Rating
1 1101x19x30 BALL OF MUSCLE Joseph Pride Craig Williams 58.5kg 109
2 94x41131x8 TREKKING James Cummings Kerrin McEvoy 58.5kg 112
3 7525x110x9 THE BOSTONIAN (NZ) Tony Pike Damian Lane 58.5kg 114
4 x11110x450 DESPATCH Tony & Calvin McEvoy James McDonald 58.5kg 106
5 1395×66320 REBEL KING Darren Mcauliffe 58.5kg 98
6 0x304146x0 VIRIDINE James Cummings Hugh Bowman 58.5kg 104
7 1614174×45 ASHLOR Dan McCarthy Daniel Stackhouse 58.5kg 97
8 x14025x225 BONS AWAY Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Mark Zahra 58.5kg 103
9 82x19x0x80 BOOKER Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra Damien Oliver 56.5kg 108

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