Slipper winner in Lightning bid

And in something that is rarely seen in an open age and open sex race, three-year-old fillies hold the most numbers. 

Three-year-old fillies have three of the eight acceptors for the 1000m dash as they look to register their third win in the past 25 years. 

Regimental Gal won for the 'girls' in 2004 with Coolangatta being the most recent in 2023. 

Throw in six-year-old mare Benedetta and the 'fairer' sex will be looking to boost their recent winning record to four in the Black Caviar Lightning after Coolangatta, Imperatriz and Skybird in the past three years. 

Melbourne-based fillies My Gladiola and Military Tycoon will be joined by the Michael Freedman-trained Marhoona who has been based at Flemington for just over a week to prepare for Saturday's Group 1 sprint. 

Marhoona showed her class as a two-year-old chasing home Tempted in the Reisling Slipper at Randwick before going on to take the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill. 

The filly's spring campaign saw her start just twice, winning first-up in the Heritage Stakes at Rosehill before running third in the Roman Consul Stakes, again at Rosehill. 

Freedman said it was not easy for Golden Slipper winners to come back as three-year-olds, but the filly has been given a good grounding for her autumn return, including a win over Autumn Glow in a trial at Randwick on January 27. 

"I think she has come back great," Freedman said. 

"Slipper-winning fillies aren't easy to place, especially the ones that are more sprinting types. 

"She is already a Group 1 winner so we want to try to line her up in races that can only potentially enhance her page, so we had a chat about it and thought we'd have a crack at the Lightning." 

Freedman is unconcerned about Marhoona having not raced down the straight previously, pointing to stablemate Pallaton who was successful on the straight course on Melbourne Cup Day. 

Jockey Michael Dee rides Marhoona for the first time. 

"We had Craig Williams booked, but he is suspended on Saturday, so we had to make a bit of a late change," Freedman said.