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Randwick on Saturday hosts the showcase of Summer racing in Sydney, the Group 2 Villiers Stakes.

It is the jewel in the crown of a strong nine race program at Royal Randwick on Saturday which also features the Listed Razor Sharp Handicap, the Listed Christmas Cup and the lucrative $250,000 Inglis Sprint for two-year-olds.

Saturday’s Villiers Stakes is a strong one boasting a capacity field.

Sorting through the chances, it is hard to go past the favourite Happy Clapper.

The Patrick Webster-trained gelding has impressed this campaign, winning each of his starts in eye catching fashion.

Settled a touch worse than midfield, Happy Clapper benefitted from a solid tempo up front early.

Peeled wider around the home turn into the straight, the five-year-old let down well for jockey Brenton Avdulla, hitting the front inside the 200m and drawing away for a half length success.

Giving the run even more merit was the fact it was produced rising in trip off a five week let up.

Happy Clapper lines up in the Villiers Stakes off a success over 1500m at Rosehill which returned the son of Teofilo a new master Timeform rating of 107.

This rating represents a seven pound improvement on his prior master Timeform rating achieved on resuming over 1200m at Randwick.

Down on the 53kg limit, 107 sees the gelding on top of the Villiers field on weight adjusted ratings.

He will strip fitter again, has won third up previously and will be strong late from a midfield or slightly worse position.

Connections will again be hopeful the pace is on up front although on paper, the race looks set to be run at only an even tempo.

Likely to be settled more prominently in transit is the John O’Shea-trained It’s Somewhat.

After a spring cut short due to a virus, It’s Somewhat returned to racing a fortnight ago in the Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill where he recorded a brave on pace second to Mighty Lucky.

His effort was awarded a Timeform rating of 118, the highest rated performance in a Festival Stakes since Eremein found himself winning an EI depleted renewal of the event in January 2008.

The gelding sits two pounds shy of Happy Clapper on weight adjusted ratings however is open to further improvement second run from a spell.

It’s Somewhat’s last start rating of 118 comes in a pound shy of the UK import’s three length third behind Mukhadram in the 2014 Group 1 Coral Eclipse (2012m) at Sandown.

He boasts the right jockey/trainer combination with the achievements of James McDonald and John O’Shea through the season to date well documented.

Furthermore, history suggests It’s Somewhat is also going into the Villiers Stakes out of the right race.

The subsequent Villiers Stakes winner has come out of the Festival Stakes in three of the past four years.

Villiers winners Monton (2011), All Legal (2012) and Ninth Legion (2013) all came out of the Festival Stakes with just last year’s winner Rudy coming from a different event in that period.

Team Hawkes-train Ninth Legion and along with the gelding contesting his third Villiers, they saddle up a key hope here in the form of God’s In Him.

God’s In Him returned from a freshen up when fourth over 1400m at Rosehill three weeks ago.

The run returned a Timeform rating of 106, three pounds shy of his master Timeform rating of 109 achieved the start prior when falling just short of victory in the Group 2 Shannon Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.

The son of God’s Own will have taken benefit from his hitout at Rosehill three weeks ago.

He is drawn to receive all of the favours from barrier 4 and has finished out of the money just once in five prior starts at Randwick.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained Frespanol was underwhelming as favourite in the Festival Stakes.

After producing gradual improvement with each run this campaign, Frespanol’s Festival Stakes effort was the worst of his current preparation.

His lone win this campaign came at this course and distance in an Open Handicap three starts ago.

The son of Choisir is drawn to receive all of the favours in transit from barrier 1 and can run a bold race on his home track.

Puccini returns to Sydney off a strong stable debut in the Eclipse Stakes for trainer Darren Weir which was rewarded with a Timeform rating of 116, five pounds shy of a Master rating recorded when winning the 2014 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie.

The Encosta De Lago entire covered plenty of ground in the Eclipse Stakes yet to his credit kept finding the line.

The strength of that showing has the dual Group 1 winner in the thick of things here.

Luckless last start, the five-year-old will once again be in need of favours from his awkward draw.

With even luck, he can play a role in the finish.

Zanbagh is another who has changed stable this campaign, being transferred from Victoria to John Thompson’s Warwick Farm team.

The Bernardini mare has been strong to the line in each of her starts this campaign, the latest when rattling home into fourth behind Mighty Lucky in the Festival Stakes.

Her Festival Stakes effort returned a Timeform rating of 105, nine pounds shy of her peak rating of 114 achieved in the 2014 Australian Oaks (2400m) at this course.

She should be open to further improvement still early in her campaign, possesses a strong third up record and is a dual winner at the trip.