The new-look Longines Mile 2016, registered as the Cantala Stakes, has attracted 40 gallopers at nomination stage this week ahead of the Saturday week showdown on Victoria Derby Day.

One of four elite levels scheduled to run at Flemington Racecourse on October 29 to kick off the Melbourne Cup Carnival, this year’s $1 million Group 1 Longines Mile Cantala Stakes (1600m) nominations were taken on Monday by Racing Victoria (RV).

The handicap showdown has attracted plenty of talented early entries including pre-field favourite in futures markets at bookmakers around the country, He’s Our Rokkii.

The David & Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig-trained four-year-old has won his past five starts on the trot dating back to early April.

His latest turf triumph saw him become a Group 1 winner at Flemington on October 8 with a quarter-length victory in the Toorak Handicap (1600m).

From eight runs over the mile he now boasts three wins and two seconds, good form heading into the Longines Mile.

Lindsay Park have a total of five Longines Miles nominations this Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival with the other most notable being He Or She and Seaburge.

A super-consistent Kendal Star six-year-old, He Or She comes off three Group 1 placings this campaign.

The first was a third in Flemington’s Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) followed by a second to Black Heart Bart in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m).

Last start he came up against Australia’s best racehorse Winx and ran third to her in the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m).

Seaburge, who is also nominated for a run in the $200,000 Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040) this weekend on Cox Plate Day, was last seen running second in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m).

The three-year-old Sebring colt also holds a nomination for the $1.5 million Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) on the same day as the Longines Mile over the staying distance.

No three-year-old has won the Longines Mile, formerly the Emirates Stakes and run a week later, in over 30 years.

Also high-up the Cantala Stakes (Longines Mile) betting markets at nomination stage are the Darren Weir-trained duo of Palentino and Voodoo Lad.

Winner of the Makybe Diva Stakes at the track / distance two back, four-year-old Teofilo stallion Palentino is two-from-two at the Flemington mile having also won the Australian Guineas on protest at the track in early March.

He has a flying Flemington record of three wins and a second from four starts that he’ll be out to add to after failing to fire when last (13^th) to Hauraki at Randwick in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) last time out.

Stablemate Voodoo Lad meanwhile is in outstanding form this season, the five-year-old having won three of his past four starts including the Group 3 Moonga Stakes (1400m) on Caulfield Cup Day.

Weir has a total of six Longines Mile (Cantala Stakes) entries with recent Black-Type winner Ulmann, Stratum Star, French import Lidari and Toorak Handicap fourth placegetter Royal Rapture rounding out his hopefuls.

Sydney’s Chris Waller has won two of the past five editions of the old Cantala Stakes with Albert The Fat (2011) and Boban (2013).

He is in the mix this season with five entries including Moonga Stakes fourth placegetter Good Project, last Saturday’s Group 3 Coongy Cup winner Vanbrugh and Epsom Handicap third placed Pins four-year-old Mackintosh.

The 2016 Longines Mile final field and barrier draw is set for release on October 26, at 9:30am (AEDT).

Before then make sure you check out futures betting on all the Melbourne Cup Carnival features open at Ladbrokes.com.au – home of Enhanced Odds (T&Cs apply).

2016 Longines Mile (Cantala Stakes) Nominations

Flemington Racecourse – 29/10/2016

#	Form (Last 10)	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp. Rating
1	111x	ABBEY MARIE	M	4	Michael Kent	96
2	77×0002152	AKAVOROUN	G	7	Ciaron Maher	99
3	x0420x0155	AWESOME ROCK	H	5	Leon & Troy Corstens	109
4	9x960x3116	BON AURUM	H	4	Ciaron Maher	105
5	2311118×35	DANISH TWIST	M	5	Kris Lees	104
6	044106x0x0	DESERT JEUNEY	G	7	Nigel Blackiston	98
7	3x1210x511	DON’T DOUBT MAMMA	M	4	Tony McEvoy	105
8	7x0955x307	ENTIRELY PLATINUM (NZ)	G	7	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	99
9	2x1442x233	FEDERAL	G	5	John O’Shea	99
10	26x1240x51	FIRST SEAL	M	5	John P Thompson	110
11	121x377x04	GOOD PROJECT	H	5	Chris Waller	105
12	0007071162	GREAT ESTEEM	G	6	Stuart Webb	100
13	x2018x7323	HE OR SHE	G	6	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	–
14	31122×4167	HEAVENS ABOVE	M	5	Tim Martin	103
15	x41211x111	HE’S OUR ROKKII (NZ)	G	4	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	108
16	1240×1113	HEY DOC	G	3	Tony McEvoy	–
17	0x16415x40	HOPFGARTEN	G	6	Robert Heathcote	105
18	21201×3112	HUMIDOR (NZ)	G	4	Johno Benner	–
19	5×11828447	JACQUINOT BAY	G	9	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	102
20	12217×2225	LE ROMAIN	G	4	Kris Lees	108
21	900x1xD2x0	LIDARI (FR)	H	8	Darren Weir	102
22	4101110×13	MACKINTOSH (NZ)	G	4	Chris Waller	103
23	x21x625116	MCCREERY (GB)	G	5	Chris Waller	100
24	x040412201	MR INDIVIDUAL	H	4	Leon & Troy Corstens	84
25	x7212x4510	PALENTINO	H	4	Darren Weir	111
26	3217111114	ROYAL RAPTURE	G	7	Darren Weir	103
27	1216×4542	SEABURGE	C	3	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	–
28	32x145x227	SINGING (FR)	H	7	Kris Lees	97
29	7236033×85	STRATUM STAR	H	5	Darren Weir	109
30	11246×3449	TASHBEEH	H	5	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	97
31	610x5212x6	THE UNITED STATES (IRE)	H	7	Robert Hickmott	111
32	x4651818x1	THUNDER FANTASY	H	6	Anthony Cummings	107
33	08x461x263	TIVACI	H	4	Michael Moroney	99
34	1x110x2662	TOM MELBOURNE (IRE)	G	6	Lee & Anthony Freedman	97
35	7203×52284	TORGERSEN (NZ)	H	4	Chris Waller	89
36	689×211521	ULMANN	G	5	Darren Weir	98
37	10×2014121	VADAMOS (FR)	H	6	Andre Fabre	–
38	x0649x5491	VANBRUGH	H	4	Chris Waller	104
39	x121231121	VOODOO LAD	G	5	Darren Weir	108
40	49x2515x05	ZANBAGH	M	6	John P Thompson	100