Defending titleholder Homesman is the early favourite to make it back-to-back Underwood Stakes victories after the release of nominations for the weight-for-age Group One race at Caulfield.
The Lloyd Williams-owned Homesman, who made a winning start to his spring campaign in the Group Two Feehan Stakes earlier this month, was the $2.80 favourite on Monday for Sunday’s Underwood (1800m) which has attracted 21 nominations.
He is one of 11 Group One winners among the entries including last-start Makybe Diva Stakes winner Gatting who will get a look at the Caulfield course in a scheduled gallop on Tuesday morning.
West Australian gelding Gatting won the Makybe Diva as a $101 outsider but was on the second line of early betting on Monday for the Underwood at $6 along with evergreen nine-year-old Hartnell.
Sunday’s meeting also features the Group Two Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) for three-year-old fillies which has attracted 25 nominations and the Group Three Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) for three-year-old colts and geldings which has 24.
Blue Diamond Stakes winner Lyre is among the headline nominations for the Thousand Guineas Prelude while exciting colt Dalasan, winner of the weight-for-age Spring Stakes and Group Two Danehill Stakes, features among the Caulfield Guineas Prelude entries.