The returning Team Hawkes-trained Star Turn has come up trumps with barrier two as he prepares to take on the older sprinters first-up at Flemington in the 2017 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes.

Due to run as Flemington Race 8 at 4:45pm (AEDT) on Saturday afternoon, this autumn’s $750,000 Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) attracted a classy 13-starter field.

Among the ranks are a number of gun three-year-olds out to be the first of their age group to dominate the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes results since Fastnet Rock back in 2005.

Pre-field Black Caviar Lightning odds at Ladbrokes.com.au were dominated by the three-year-old sprint stars, the bookmakers unperturbed about the recent hoodoo.

One of the best in Black Caviar Lightning betting, Star Witness colt Star Turn should firm with the punters after his barrier two draw for jockey Dwayne Dunn who rode last year’s winner Chautauqua (2016) to victory from the same gate.

Star Turn was last seen running third at the track in October’s Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) after a smart 2.25 length win in Caulfield’s Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) over Malaguerra.

Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Flying Artie is also back for a rematch in the Black Caviar Lightning field on the weekend.

The Mick Price-trained Artie Schiller colt – runner-up to stablemate Extreme Choice in Blue Diamond Stakes and third to Capitalist in the Golden Slipper last autumn – races for the first time since his Group 1 win.

This is his first test against an open-age field, but he trialled well when second to Heatherly over 800m at Cranbourne on February 7 and also drew well with barrier four.

Four-time Lightning Stakes winning jockey Damien Oliver is back aboard Flying Artie first-up after Hugh Bowman took over for the Coolmore Stud Stakes win.

Price chases his second Black Caviar Lightning win after success with Lankan Rupee (2015) two years ago.

The other winners in the Black Caviar Lightning barrier draw in gates one and three respectively are the Darren Weir-trained Flamberge and Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra’s returning mare Heatherly.

Brad Rawiller rides veteran Exceed And Excel seven-year-old Flamberge second-up after the galloper ran a brave fourth at the track and distance in the Listed Kensington Stakes (1000m) on January 28.

Flamberge carted a hefty 62.5kg that day running just a length off the winner Tivaci and will appreciate the drop back to 58.5kg at weight-for-age.

It has been a while between drinks for the three-time Group 1 winner whose latest victories were the Oakleigh Plate – William Reid Stakes double last Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival.

Locally-trained Lonhro mare Heatherly is out to add to the stellar record of female gallopers in the race thanks to the three victories by the now namesake – Black Caviar (2011-2013) along with Snitzerland (2014) in recent years.

The four-year-old runs for the first time since her brave second to Extreme Choice at Moonee Valley in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) last September.

She has a killer record over the distance (8-3-3-2) and is back at Flemington looking for her second win from three starts down the straight.

See below for the full Black Caviar Lightning 2017 field, barriers and jockeys with betting to open shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au – home of Odds Boost (T&Cs apply).

2017 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes Field & Barriers

Flemington Race 8 (4:45pm) – 18/02/2017

#	Form (Last 10)	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Br.	Wgt.	Hcp. Rating
1	73x296x20x	TERRAVISTA	Joseph Pride	Corey Brown	9	58.5kg	112
2	x1100x98x4	FLAMBERGE	Darren Weir	Brad Rawiller	1	58.5kg	112
3	61539x146x	THE QUARTERBACK	Robbie Griffiths	Matthew Allen	12	58.5kg	110
4	5217x2602x	COUNTERATTACK	Chris Waller	TBA	6	58.5kg	102
5	5121x1212x	ILLUSTRIOUS LAD	Peter Gelagotis	Anthony Darmanin	8	58.5kg	105
6	15x16225x7	FAATINAH	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	Regan Bayliss	11	58.5kg	101
7	7x0111x12x	SPIETH (NZ)	Bryce Heys	Hugh Bowman	5	58.5kg	108
8	x1x11x113x	SUPIDO	Michael Kent	Luke Nolen	10	58.5kg	100
9	720143x40x	ORUJO	Shawn Mathrick	TBA	13	58.5kg	85
10	31113x132x	HEATHERLY	Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra	Damian Lane	3	56.5kg	107
11	2x123x11x	FLYING ARTIE	Mick Price	Damien Oliver	4	55.5kg	110
12	x256x1213x	STAR TURN	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Dwayne Dunn	2	55.5kg	107
13	9x1x66735x	MISSROCK	Robbie Laing	Craig Williams	7	53.5kg	81