Spring hopefuls on show

If the prices issued by bookmakers for Weekend Hussler in Saturday's Memsie Stakes are accurate, Ross McDonald's superstar will street them.

But the four-year-old, a $1.85 hope (TAB Sportsbet), faces a red-hot field in the Memsie, which features no less than 12 Group One winners, including star Sydney mare Tuesday Joy, Mark Kavanagh's gun Maldivian and comeback galloper Pompeii Ruler.

His greatest danger could come from the horse that hasn't yet won at the elite level, WA galloper Scenic Blast, which twice placed behind Weekend Hussler last spring.

McDonald has declared Weekend Hussler somewhere between 75 and 90 percent fit for the Memsie.

But many of his rivals, which are also early in their campaigns, will be far from full fitness.

The Hussler had a setback prior to his defeat by Light Fantastic in the Liston but McDonald said all was back on track for the galloper.

From barrier seven, jockey Brad Rawiller will be able to place the son of Hussonet anywhere he wants in the 13-horse field.

An Oakleigh Plate and Newmarket winner, Weekend Hussler should have the superior turn of foot to win a sit-and-sprint affair, which many weight-for-age races become.

If there was to be an upset, Scenic Blast is well equipped to provide it. He has never won beyond 1200m but was placed behind Marasco at WFA level in Perth over 1400m and ran third in last year's Caulfield Guineas over a mile.

He was a dominant winner first-up over 1200m and should be able to cope with both the rise in distance and the step from handicap to WFA class.

Alamosa was unlucky in the Liston when fourth and can again threaten the placings.

Maldivian, who doesn't usually fire second-up, may find the 1400m a shade too short at this stage of his preparation but can run a nice race.

Tuesday Joy has not won fresh or at this distance but also has strong place claims.

Of the rest, Sarrera is still under-rated despite being a dual Group One winner at WFA level and has in the past performed well when resuming and over 1400m.

Outstanding sprinting mare Miss Andretti also makes her return to the track in a Listed race over 1100m at Caulfield.

Should she rediscover her best form, she'll brain them but as she is a seven-year-old mare starting at the prohibitive odds of $1.80 there will be many punters prepared to back something to beat her.

The David Hayes-trained Red Element ($9), last-start winner Commanding Hope ($10) and smart sprinters Monet Rules and Bel Mer are all given chances of causing a boilover.

The eight-race Caulfield program will also see unlucky galloper Leica Falcon make just his third racetrack start since running fourth to Makybe Diva in the 2005 Melbourne Cup.

In Sydney, unbeaten galloper Desuetude from the Peter Snowden yard will provide the testing material in the $1,000,000 G2 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) for three-year-olds.

He has won his only three starts, from 1000m to 1300m and on wet and dry tracks, and will have an edge in fitness over several rivals who raced at a high level as two-year-olds.

Duporth, a Group Three winner on dead going, Stripper, who was a high-class two-year-old, and All American, fifth in the Golden Slipper, all have the credentials to win.

Lucky Wu
Memsie Stakes
Weekend Hussler
Scenic Blast
Tuesday Joy
Sarrera

Golden Rose
Desuetude
All American
Stripper
Duporth

Hands and Heals
Memsie Stakes
Weekend Hussler
Alamosa
Playwright
Maldivian

Golden Rose
Dupworth
Desuetude
Maybe I
Stripper