Darren Weir’s last start Toorak Handicap winner Lucky Hussler could drop back in class for a Crystal Mile 2015 run on way to the Emirates Stakes this weekend in Melbourne on Cox Plate Day.

Lucky Hussler is the headline nominee for Saturday’s 2015 Crystal Mile on Cox Plate Day in Melbourne. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

One of the key support races on the Moonee Valley race card this Saturday, the $200,000 Group 2 Schweppes Crystal Mile (1600m) has attracted 17 nominations looking to run in the capacity 15-starter field in the weight-for-age showdown.

The top-rated of the nominees is dual Group 1 winning Husson six-year-old Lucky Hussler who was last seen winning the Toorak Handicap over the mile at Caulfield on October 10.

His other Group 1 success was over 1200m at Moonee Valley in the William Reid Stakes, a track he is nominated to return to this weekend for the Crystal Mile, which is a traditional lead-up into the Melbourne Cup Carnival’s $1 million Group 1 Emirates Stakes (1600m) at Flemington next month.

Toorak Handicap runner-up Disposition is another headline Crystal Mile entry this season, the Lee & Anthony Freedman-trained Perth expat coming off a string of ace runs this preparation.

A four-year-old son of Reset, Disposition has more than held his own in Melbourne coming off back-to-back Group 1 seconds at Caulfield firstly behind Stratum Star in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and then the Toorak when beaten one and a quarter lengths.

He is yet to race at Moonee Valley however so Saturday would be his first look at the track if accepted into the Crystal Mile field.

Along with Lucky Hussler the other last start winners in the mix are the Chris Waller-trained Amovatio and Turn Me Loose prepared by New Zealand horseman Murray Baker.

A winner of his three most recent runs going back to the winter, Al Maher gelding Amovatio comes off a first-up victory carrying a hefty 60kg over 1400m at Caulfield in Listed company a fortnight ago on Saturday.

He will be far better weighted as a five-year-old under the Crystal Mile conditions, but races at Group level for the first time, and is joined in the nominations by stablemates Flamingo Star, Moriarty and Strawberry Boy.

Moriarty hasn’t won a race since his Group 1 Kingston Town Stakes (1800m) success in WA last December and comes off a fourth to Complacent in the Group 3 Craven Plate (2000m) at Randwick in Sydney back on October 3.

Strawberry Boy was fourth in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes two back before his eighth to Lucky Hussler last time out in the Toorak, while Flamingo Star was fifth past the post in the Toorak.

Turn Me Loose meanwhile is trained by Caulfield Cup winning trainer Baker and won the Listed Seymour Cup (1600m) with 60kg on his back from a wide barrier (13 of 15) on Sunday.

He could be on the short back-up into the Crystal Mile this weekend though with Baker confirming the Emirates Stakes as the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas winner’s major Melbourne target this spring.

Also coming off nice lead-up runs into the Crystal Mile include the likes of the Team Hawkes-trained Toorak Handicap fourth placed Ninth Legion and the Sunshine Coast-trained Choisir four-year-old Worthy Cause who ran fourth to Vashka in last Saturday’s Group 3 Moonga Stakes (1400m) on Caulfield Cup Day.

Check out the full Crystal Mile 2015 nominations below then head over to Ladbrokes.com.au who are offering Best Tote or SP + 20% on ALL races at Moonee Valley this Saturday!

2015 Crystal Mile Nominations

Moonee Valley Racecourse – 24/10/2015