It is shaping up as a sensational edition of the CS Hayes Stakes 2020 at Flemington on Saturday with a star-studded list of gun three-year-olds making up the early entries.

A key lead-up to the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) held back at the track over a mile on February 29, the Group 3 $160,000 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) nominations feature 13 hopefuls.

Heading the all-in CS Hayes Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au this Black Caviar Lightning Day at $2.70 is champion Queenslander Alligator Blood.

David Vandyke’s brilliant son of All Too Hard has had nine runs for eight wins and a second in the Group 1 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m) over the spring.

His latest three starts over the summer have all been at home in the sunshine state including the $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m) victory by two lengths despite having been caught-up in a four-hour traffic delay pre-race.

The gelding sees the straight Flemington track for the first time in the CS Hayes Stakes and races in Melbourne for the first time since the narrow Caulfield Guineas second to Super Seth.

Hot on his heels in the pre-field CS Hayes Stakes betting market at $2.80 to win his down under debut is the Clayton Chipperfield-trained New Zealand raider Catalyst.

The Darci Brahma gelding also comes into the race with just the one career loss to date having secured his sixth turf triumph first-up at Ellerslie on January 25.

Winner of the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas (1600m) back in November, the up-and-comer continues to win his races back home by big margins including the Group 3 Mr Tiz Trophy (1200m) fresh.

He carried 60.5kg to the 2.5 length win to kick off his summer – autumn campaign earning a shot at the big boys in Australia where connections will be desperate for him not to miss the kick like he did last time out.

“He got away with it the other day at Ellerslie but that was against moderate opposition. It will be a tougher task on Saturday,” jockey James McDonald, booked for the ride on Saturday, told Racenet.

“Alligator Blood will be tough enough. Not many have been able to give him a start, to be fair. Only Super Seth has beaten him.

“He (Alligator Blood) looks a very exciting horse.

“He (Catalyst) looks pretty special from what I’ve seen but he’s still on a bit of a learning curve.

“He does a few things wrong and he has got a chink in his armour where he can be slow away but obviously, he has got a devastating turn of foot.

“If he does everything well, he’ll be ultra-impressive.”

Caulfield Guineas winner Super Seth holds a CS Hayes Stakes nomination but it has since been confirmed he will bypass the race in favour of a run in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield Saturday week on Blue Diamond Stakes Day.

Exciting SA galloper Dalasan ($5.50) coming off a first-up third to Super Seth in the Group 3 Manfred Stakes and VRC Derby placegetter Soul Patch ($8) are tipped the other major players in a hot race.

Click here for the latest all-in CS Hayes Stakes 2020 odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of the final field being revealed on Wednesday morning.

2020 CS Hayes Stakes Nominations

#	Form (Last 10)	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Ballot	Weight	Hcp. Rating
1	113x1651x1	SUPER SETH	C	3	Anthony Freedman	1	58.5kg	109
2	74x34121x	WARNING	G	3	Anthony Freedman	2	58.5kg	107
3	71x1111x1	CATALYST (NZ)	G	3	Clayton Chipperfield	3	58.5kg	108
4	23111x7L0x	YOURDEEL (NZ)	G	3	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	4	58.5kg	94
5	1x1112x111	ALLIGATOR BLOOD	G	3	David Vandyke	5	57.5kg	108
6	12x11251x3	DALASAN	C	3	Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas	6	57.5kg	97
7	1x21813x	SOUL PATCH	C	3	Ken Keys	7	57.5kg	92
8	x142364212	CONQUEROR	C	3	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	8	56kg	88
9	1×4	SPEND	C	3	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	9	56kg	68
10	4x1333x6	GROUNDSWELL	C	3	Anthony Freedman	10	55kg	81
11	7313027x	VEGAS KNIGHT	G	3	Colin Little	11	55kg	72
12	12×142	BIG PARADE	C	3	Clare Cunningham	12	55kg	74
13	12x	CHENIER	C	3	Anthony Freedman	13	55kg	65