Group 1 racing kicks off for another season in the form of the Memsie Stakes 2017 at Caulfield Racecourse this Saturday and pre-field favourite for the spring showdown is the Lindsay Park-trained Vega Magic.

Vega Magic, above, is among the nominations for the 2017 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos

A total of 18 Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival hopefuls make up the early entries for this year’s Group 1 $1 million Memsie Stakes (1400m) with early betting on the weight-for-age clash already open at Ladbrokes.com.au.

Sitting top of the Memsie Stakes all-in odds at $4 for the win is Lope De Vega five-year-old Vega Magic out to hand head trainer David Hayes with his third victory in the race following success with Palace Reign (1993) and Miss Finland (2007).

Formerly trained in WA, Vega Magic hit the headlines back in May taking out the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) in Adelaide.

He returned for the season on August 19 and was back in the winners’ stall this time taking out the Listed Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield carrying 60.5kg.

Weight-for-age will suit the favourite better on the weekend as Vega Magic looks to make it two-from-two at the track, stepping out over 1400m for the first time since a Group 3 win in Perth back in December.

Following closely in the latest Memsie Stakes betting markets at $6 is the reigning champion Black Heart Bart for Darren Weir.

Sunline (2000-01) was the last back-to-back Memsie Stakes winner but the bookies are taking few chances with seven-year-old Black Heart Bart being the next this Saturday.

The veteran is another former Perth star who has amassed close to $3.5 million in prize money to date.

He has imposing form at the Memsie Stakes track and distance boasting four wins and a third from five previous starts over the 1400m at Caulfield including his successful CF Orr Stakes – Futurity Stakes double in February.

His campaign kick-off a fortnight back saw him run third to Hartnell in the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) here and he should be fitter for the run looking to add to his nice second-up record (8-3-3-0).

Along with the defending Memsie Stakes winner Victoria’s leading trainer Weir has also nominated for French import Galio Chop, Australian Cup winner Humidor out to improve on his PB Lawrence Stakes sixth and former Japanese galloper Tosen Stardom.

Tosen Stardom has had four runs down under with Weir for a nice record that includes a Futurity Stakes second to Black Heart Bart.

His latest run was a PB Lawrence fifth and he shapes up as a genuine improver for the Group 1 on Saturday.

Bookmakers meanwhile have a number of other horses on their radar with the next best in futures Memsie Stakes odds being Hey Doc ($6.50), Le Romain ($7) and Yankee Rose ($9).

Tony McEvoy’s Duporth four-year-old Hey Doc put in the ideal Memsie Stakes lead-up kicking off his season with a Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) win down the Flemington straight on August 12.

Out to be the first four-year-old Memsie Stakes winner since Dissident (2014), Hey Doc is also a proven Group 1 winner having taken out the Australian Guineas over a mile in the autumn.

He will enjoy the step-up to 1400m on Saturday, but will need to be improving having finished sixth to Vega Magic in The Goodwood when he met the weekend’s favourite over the winter.

Le Romain represents Newcastle’s Kris Lees and the son of Hard Spun is second-up (4-2-2-0) on Saturday following his second in the Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) a month back.

The multiple Group 1 champion is after his first success since defeating Chautauqua in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) in the wet at Randwick on March 4 and the Memsie Stakes will be his first ever run at Caulfield.

Yankee Rose also debuts at Caulfield on Saturday, the gun mare racing for the first time since her failed 14th in the Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m) during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

The four-year-old is a genuine star however, proven by her elite level victories and the brave Cox Plate third to Winx last spring.

Check out the official Memsie Stakes 2017 nominations below with the final field and barriers set for release at 9:30am (local time) on Wednesday morning followed by the updated markets at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2017 Memsie Stakes Nominations

Caulfield Racecourse – 02/09/2017