The Group 1 George Ryder Stakes will be one of the most anticipated races on Saturday afternoon at Rosehill Gardens, with a capacity field of 19 runners accepting for the $1 million feature.
After online horse racing betting sites opened their market with only three horses marked under +900, there appears to be plenty of value to be found in the 2024 edition of the George Ryder.
The reigning Everest champion and last start runner-up in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes, Think About It will carry the number one saddlecloth and has opened as the race favourite at +280.
Joseph Pride's stable star returned with a solid first-up run over 1300m, and he will step up to 1500m second-up for the first time in his career on Saturday.
Militarize (+400) from the Chris Waller barn sits on the second line of betting, but he has also accepted for the Rosehill Guineas on the same day, which leaves punters guessing as to where he will head.
Kovalica (+1600) will join his stablemate in the race as the 2023 Queensland Derby winner seeks to win his first since his triumph in the Derby at Eagle Farm on July 27 of last year.
Encap (+800) from the Gary Portelli stable sits on the third line of betting, even though this will be his first crack at open age Group 1 level after finishing fifth in the Randwick Guineas last start.
Ciaron Maher will be represented by three runners in the George Ryder, as he has accepted with New Energy (+1800), Cosmic Vega (+3300) and Tiz Invincible (+2500).
From the Annabel Neasham yard, last start Canterbury Stakes winner, Lady Laguna (+900), will look to continue her rich vein of form, and will be joined by Mighty Ulysses (+1800), who will make his Australian debut for Neasham.
After being beaten as an odds-on favourite in the Group 3 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap, Amenable (+1800) from the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr stable will test his ability in Group 1 company north of the border for the first time.
The George Ryder Stakes is scheduled to jump at 3:55pm AEDT at Rosehill Gardens.