Super sprinter Redzel is charged with having to overcome one of the widest barriers in Saturday’s Black Caviar Lightning 2018 field when he returns to racing from gate nine of 10 in the Flemington feature.

Redzel is odds-on favourite to win the 2018 Black Caviar Lightning first-up at Flemington Racecourse this weekend. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The latest elite level of the Melbourne Festival of Racing, this season’s Group 1 $750,000 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) runs as Flemington Race 8 at 4:45pm (AEDT) on Saturday afternoon.

Ten short-distance specialist are engaged to do battle in the weight-for-age sprint including the odds-on favourite in Black Caviar Lightning betting at Ladbrokes.com.au, Redzel.

Peter & Paul Snowden’s outstanding son of Snitzel is the best sprinter in the country and chases a seventh consecutive win first-up.

Inaugural champion of Sydney’s The Everest (1200m) last October, the five-year-old then handled the Flemington straight with his Melbourne Cup Carnival success in the Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m).

He has trialled twice since including the impressive three length 1000m winning hit-out at Rosehill on February 5 where he easily accounted for the likes of Flight Stakes winner Alizee (2^nd) and the world’s best mare Winx (5^th).

Redzel is undefeated at Flemington, a first-up specialist and has excellent form over the 1000m and looks hard to beat.

In a change of plans from the Lindsay Park stable, the team have opted to accept for two runners in the Black Caviar Lightning field despite telling Racing Victoria on Tuesday that Redkirk Warrior would be their sole representative.

Originally both their fillies Catchy and Formality were to bypass the race in favour of a Group 1 $500,000 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) assignment at Caulfield on February 24.

While that still holds true for last year’s Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes winner Catchy, Formality has been accepted into the Black Caviar Lightning and is drawn gate eight with Dwayne Dunn booked for the ride.

A winner of five of her 10 career starts to date, the three-year-old daughter of Fastnet Rock was last seen running a brave third when only a quarter-length off the winner Merchant Navy in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) on November 4 at Flemington.

Undefeated first-up (2:2-0-0), Formality will be out to break a notable drought for the three-year-olds in the Lightning Stakes with the last to salute being her sire Fastnet Rock (2005).

She is joined by stablemate Redkirk Warrior, the Hong Kong expat jumping for barrier seven with the blinkers coming on the Newmarket Handicap winner who is out to atone for his unplaced runs to Redzel in The Everest (10^th) and Darley Classic (11^th) during the spring.

The other standouts in the mix include Joe Pride’s returning champion Terravista and the Tony McEvoy-trained Hey Doc in gates four and three respectively.

Now eight-year-old Terravista is first-up having run second to Redzel in the Darley Classic as a $31 roughie hope last start.

Boasting gun form fresh (10:6-2-1), the veteran is after successive wins in the race for the first time since Black Caviar earned her place in the history books with a three-peat from 2011-13.

Hey Doc meanwhile is after a second Group 1 success at Flemington following his Australian Guineas win at the track over a mile as a three-year-old.

The now four-year-old son of Duporth also kicks off his autumn looking to add to an impressive first-up record (4:3-0-1) and was last seen scoring the upset at Moonee Valley on October 21 in the Group 1 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes (1200m).

Check out the official Black Caviar Lightning Stakes 2018 field and barriers below, updated Flemington racing odds to open shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2018 Black Caviar Lightning Final Field & Barrier Draw

Flemington Race 8 (4:45pm) – 17/02/2018