Hawkes Racing’s super sprinter Chautauqua is one of the headline Darley Classic 2017 nominations taken by Racing Victoria for the Melbourne Cup Carnival feature this week.

The ‘Grey Flash’ Chautauqua is a key 2017 Darley Classic nomination for the Melbourne Cup Carnival sprint. Photo: Steve Hart.

Nominations and the latest round of acceptances for a number of key upcoming Group 1 spring races all closed on Tuesday including those for the Group 1 $1 million Darley Classic (1200m) run down the Flemington straight on November 11 as part of Emirates Stakes Day.

The Darley Classic nominations drew 62 short distance specialists including seven-year-old Chautauqua who could be south bound after contesting the $10 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 14.

The Darley Classic has been a bit of a hoodoo race for Chautauqua who has been beaten home by one in two of the past three editions of the race.

Chautauqua was runner-up to Terravista in 2014 and finished second again in the quinella behind Delectation in 2015 as the beaten odds-on favourite before skipping the race last year.

An international Group 1 winner and triple champion of Sydney’s TJ Smith Stakes, the veteran was a fast-finishing seventh first-up to Redzel in the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) and races again this weekend in Randwick’s Group 2 $500,000 Premiere Stakes (1200m).

Redzel is one of just two Darley Classic nominees for Peter & Paul Snowden along with four-year-old Russian Revolution.

Co-trainer Peter Snowden prepared the 2012 winner Mental and has two livewire hopes in the flying Redzel who has won his past four starts on the trot and Snitzel entire Russian Revolution last seen winning the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley.

Reigning Darley Classic winner Malaguerra has also been nominated for the million dollar race this season looking to go back-to-back for the first time since super mare Black Caviar (2010-11).

The Peter Gelagotis-trained Magnus gelding hasn’t raced since a failed 16^th to Vega Magic in the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) in Adelaide on May 20 but is down to make his six-year-old debut on Friday night at Moonee Valley in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m).

Another possible Darley Classic-bound galloper being kept safe in futures betting at bookmakers around the country is the Bryce Heys-trained Spieth.

The Thorn Park stallion has been luckless in Group 1 sprints when nosed out of the Darley Classic win last year before a first-up second to Terravista, who also features in this season’s Darley Classic noms, at the same track and distance in February’s Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m).

His latest run was a first-up second behind aforementioned The Everest-bound Redzel in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) on September 2 and he looks in good form again this spring.

No three-year-old has won the Darley Classic since the filly Pharein back in 1999 but this year there are seven youngsters in the nominations.

The standout three-year-old that could take on the older horses in the event is Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign who is also engaged for a run in The Everest this spring.

The Darley Classic first acceptances close on October 24 followed by the final field announcement on November 8.

Check out the full 2017 Darley Classic nominations below with futures odds on the sprint to open shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2017 Darley Classic Nominations

Flemington Racecourse – 11/11/2017