Promising three-year-olds Pallaton and Skyhook share favouritism for Sydney’s first stakes race of the new season, the Listed $200,000 The Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Nominations have been extended for the feature race after only eight entries were taken on Monday but TAB Fixed Odds price assessors have framed an opening market with Pallaton and Skyhook at the top of betting at $3.50, just shading Blitzburg at $4.

Following the washout of last Saturday’s Royal Randwick meeting, a bumper 239 entries were received for Rosehill with every race on Saturday having at least 19 nominations with the exception of The Rosebud and another three-year-old race, a Benchmark 72 Handicap (1300m) which has 12 early entries.

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Sydney Cup winner Arapaho has been allocated the steadier of 65kg for the Spring Preview Handicap (1400m) but the stayer is expected to miss that race and instead resume in the Group 1 Winx Stakes at Royal Randwick on August 23.

Bjorn Baker, trainer of Arapaho, is still likely to have multiple runners in the race with Robusto (62.5kg), Our Anchorage (57.5kg), Highlights (54.5kg) and War Eternal (54kg) also entered.

Premier trainer Chris Waller has eight entries for the Spring Preview including comeback stayer More Felons (62kg) and The Metropolitan winner Land Legend (61kg). Emerging filly Karinska is the Waller stable’s only Rosebud nomination.

Rosehill will also host an all-important set of barrier trials this Friday after they were postponed for a second time on Tuesday.

The opening two heats for the Friday session are for Group-class horses and will be run on the course proper.

Meanwhile, trainer Joe Pride has entered $12 million earner Private Eye for the Group 2 $300,000 PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

The weight-for age race has 21 entries with Private Eye rated $4 second favourite behind the Team Hayes-trained Evaporate at $3.

Originally published as 2025 The Rosebud: Skyhook, Pallaton duel for favouritism