The three-year-olds look a force to be reckoned with on Super Saturday in March as a host of young sprinters dominate the Newmarket Handicap 2020 nominations released this week.

Exceedance is one of the early favourites in 2020 Newmarket Handicap betting this autumn. Photo: Steve Hart.

Accompanying the Australian Cup on the Flemington card on March 8, this year’s Group 1 $1.25 million Seppelt Wines Newmarket Handicap (1200m) attracted 60 nominations.

Among the early entries are 21 three-year-olds, three of which are among the top four in all-in Newmarket Handicap betting at Ladbrokes.com.au.

Sitting top of the odds at $7 is Exceedance for Team Hawkes, the Exceed And Excel colt last seen winning the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) over the Newmarket Handicap track and distance last Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Exceedance shares the top line of betting with five-year-old Nature Strip for Sydney’s premier trainer Chris Waller who chases a second Newmarket Handicap win following his success with Brazen Beau (2015).

Nature Strip, like Exceedance, is also a proven Group 1 winner down the famous Flemington ‘Straight Six’ track having taken out last year’s VRC Classic in November by over three lengths.

That was the gelding’s fourth win from as many starts at HQ making the three-time Group 1 winner a genuine Flemington track specialist.

Waller has also nominated for his Magic Millions Sprint winning Zoustar mare Madam Rouge along with another of the top fancied three-year-olds in the mix, Yes Yes Yes.

A well-bred son of Rubick, Yes Yes Yes improved on a second in the Golden Rose over 1400m at Rosehill in late September to win the $14 million The Everest (1200m) in October at Royal Randwick.

He was previously raced by Darren Weir in Victoria and won his only previous Flemington start when breaking his maiden status over 1100m second-up in December of 2018.

The Everest winner is at current Newmarket Handicap odds of $10 just behind the $8 second elect Bivouac for Godolphin.

The James Cummings-trained Golden Rose winner beat both Yes Yes Yes (2^nd) and Exceedance (3^rd) ion the 1400m feature before a luckless sixth as the beaten favourite in Moonee Valley’s Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) and second in the Coolmore Stud Stakes.

Two-time Flemington winner Microphone is another three-year-old Newmarket Handicap nominee for Godolphin, the Exceed And Excel colt having won Sydney’s Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) last April on the back of a Golden Slipper second.

The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Manikato Stakes winner Loving Gaby who ran second to Nature Strip in the VRC Classic and Anthony Freedmans’ Coomore Stud Stakes third placegetter Libertini are the best fancied of the fillies in the mix.

Sunlight won the Newmarket Handicap as a three-year-old filly last Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival but misses out on the chance to defend her title after undergoing surgery for an off-season injury.

Two-time The Everest winner Redzel for Peter & Paul Snowden is also among the other highest rated Newmarket Handicap nominees along with Winterbottom Stakes champ Hey Doc and Memsie Stakes winner Scales Of Justice.

The Newmarket Handicap 2020 first acceptances close on February 18, 2020 with the latest markets on the sprint feature available here courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2020 Newmarket Handicap Nominations