Luckless Sydney horseman Bryce Heys will attempt a maiden Group 1 win for a third time with stable star Spieth who is best-fancied sprinter among the Newmarket Handicap 2017 first acceptances.

Racing Victoria took first declarations on Tuesday for the Australian Guineas (March 4) as well as the two Flemington feature races on ‘Super Saturday’ on March 11.

The $1.5 million Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) is down to 27 hopefuls for the weight-for-age feature including unlikely acceptor Winx, while the $1.25 million Group 1 Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m) drew 31 entries.

Down from 66 nominations, the Newmarket Handicap first acceptances and updated futures odds at Ladbrokes.com.au are led by Thorn Park four-year-old Sydney visitor Spieth ($4.50).

During the Melbourne Cup Carnival the stallion lost the Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m) over the Newmarket Handicap track and distance by a nostril flare to Malaguerra.

He was the hard luck story again first-up last weekend back at Flemington Racecourse when caught up for a run to go down by the barest margins finishing second to Terravista in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m).

The bookmakers now have the perennial placegetter as favourite in pre-field Newmarket Handicap betting to atone and ease the pain felt by Heys after the two close calls.

Joe Pride’s veteran Black Caviar Lightning winner Terravista saluted at double-figures and also features in the Newmarket Handicap first declarations chasing the Flemington Group 1 sprint double.

Winner of the 2014 Darley Classic, the now seven-year-old son of Captain Rio is at $17 in the latest markets to hand Pride his first Newmarket Handicap trophy.

Scratched at the barriers in the Black Caviar Lightning after getting caught under the gates pre-jump, Robbie Griffiths’ reigning Newmarket Handicap winner The Quarterback could be back to defend his title next month.

The Street Boss six-year-old looked in an awful position in the pre-race drama last Saturday, but has come through the ordeal with only a bit of skin off and a Newmarket Handicap title defence looks in order.

He has stellar form at Flemington (13-5-0-4) and pays $21 to become the first back-to-back Newmarket Handicap winner since Razor Sharp (1982-83).

In the past 10 years four three-year-olds have taken out the Newmarket Handicap, most recently Brazen Beau (2015).

This autumn there are still 10 youngsters in the mix led by the Mick Price-trained Flying Artie who occupies the second line of futures betting at $7.

Price won the race three years back with Lankan Rupee (2014) and hopes to do so again with Artie Schiller colt Flying Artie.

Winner of the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) against his own kind at Flemington during the spring, the youngster resumed with a seventh of nine runners in the Black Caviar Lightning.

He was only beaten 2.25 lengths in a blanket finish however and was always going to perform better getting back out to 1200m.

Other key three-year-old Newmarket Handicap first acceptors include the fellow Price-trained Blue Diamond winner Extreme Choice who resumes in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate this weekend and Black Caviar Lightning third placed Star Witness colt Star Turn.

Chautauqua also still holds a Newmarket Handicap nomination despite talks he will be raced over further distance this season including the $3 million Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) in Sydney on April 1.

The Team Hawkes-trained grey is a $6.5 million earner and sprint champion who has contested the past two editions of the Newmarket Handicap for a second in 2015 and third last autumn.

Chautauqua is being kept safe in betting at $11, equal with stablemate Star Turn, while Extreme Choice is at single-figures paying $9.

The Newmarket Handicap 2017 final field and barriers are set for release on Wednesday March 8.

In the meantime check out the full first acceptances below before checking out updated Newmarket Handicap and Super Saturday racing odds online now at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2017 Newmarket Handicap First Acceptances

Flemington Racecourse – 11/04/2017

#	Form (Last 10)	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp. Rating
1	x6025x7542	BIG MONEY	G	7	Rodney Northam	102
2	x1311x47x3	CHAUTAUQUA	G	6	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	116
3	217x2602x8	COUNTERATTACK	H	4	Chris Waller	102
4	62x600x211	DAL CIELO (NZ)	G	4	Kris Lees	93
5	11x477x25	EL DIVINO	C	3	Darren Weir	89
6	1118x15x	EXTREME CHOICE	C	3	Mick Price	110
7	15x16225x7	FAATINAH	G	4	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	101
8	42156x323x	FELL SWOOP	G	5	Matthew Dale	108
9	1100x98x44	FLAMBERGE	G	7	Darren Weir	112
10	2x123x11x7	FLYING ARTIE	C	3	Mick Price	110
11	6x1x14x32	GUARD OF HONOUR	C	3	Kris Lees	79
12	0x10113x34	HELLBENT	H	4	Darren Weir	97
13	0x11134x31	HEY DOC	G	3	Tony McEvoy	100
14	1x154231x2	I AM A STAR (NZ)	F	3	Shane Nichols	105
15	121x1212x5	ILLUSTRIOUS LAD	G	5	Peter Gelagotis	105
16	0834260335	INSPECTOR	G	6	Peter White	85
17	1L0x55402x	MISS PROMISCUITY	M	6	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	99
18	9x1x66735x	MISSROCK	F	3	Robbie Laing	81
19	x21x531x56	PEACOCK	C	3	John O’Shea	75
20	5120x5x21x	REDKIRK WARRIOR (GB)	G	6	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	100
21	27x421152x	SHEIDEL	M	5	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	106
22	x0111x12x2	SPIETH (NZ)	H	4	Bryce Heys	–
23	256x1213x3	STAR TURN	C	3	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	–
24	1536x143x1	SUPER CASH	M	4	Andrew Noblet	103
25	1x11x113x9	SUPIDO	H	5	Michael Kent	100
26	242x256Px1	TARGET IN SIGHT	G	7	Joseph Pride	105
27	3x296x20x1	TERRAVISTA	G	7	Joseph Pride	–
28	61539x146x	THE QUARTERBACK	G	6	Robbie Griffiths	110
29	61x26330x1	TIVACI	H	4	Michael Moroney	105
30	13	VILLA ROSA	F	3	Ciaron Maher	63
31	212311210x	VOODOO LAD	G	5	Darren Weir	107