Co-trainer Paul Snowden admits the pressure is building ahead of the 2018 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes on Saturday where the team’s spruik sprinter Redzel returns to racing.

Redzel looks hard to beat chasing a seventh win on the trot first-up in the Black Caviar Lightning 2018 at Flemington on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.

Second only to the mighty Winx as the horse punters are most anticipating the autumn campaign of, Snitzel five-year-old Redzel kicks things off at Flemington in the Group 1 $750,000 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m).

Redzel, a $120,00 bargain buy by Triple Crown Syndications who started his career with Gerald Ryan at Rosehill, returns to Melbourne’s premier racetrack for the third time and chases a hat-trick of wins at the famous straight course.

He was last seen dominating the Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m) there during the Melbourne Cup Carnival and his subsequent two impressive Sydney trail wins have him spot-on for his fresh run on Saturday.

Redzel also won the $10 million The Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick in the spring, his victory in which really put him on the map, and in the Black Caviar Lightning shoots for a seventh win on the trot.

The all-in Black Caviar Lightning odds at Ladbrokes.com.au reflect the favourite’s ability and already Redzel is at $1.70 for the win.

The rise to fame for Redzel, who has now amassed over $7.79 million in prize money, can be credited to the horse being gelded and the spacing of his runs according to Snowden who trains in partnership with this father Peter.

“Gelding was the making of him,” Snowden told Racing Victoria.

“He was too hot and cold; some days he’d be good, usually early in his preparation, but other days he’d float around and look colty.

“We learned he had to be happy in himself, not let him roll as such, but let him be happy.”

Also boasting a very good 1000m record of two wins and two seconds from five starts over the Black Caviar Lightning distance, Redzel can live up to the pressure and the pre-race hype according to Snowden.

“There is obviously more pressure now but we trust the horse immensely,” he said.

“He’s got all the attributes.”

There are currently three other nominees under $10 in early Black Caviar Lightning betting for the weekend with Hey Doc ($8), Redkirk Warrior ($8) and Terravista ($9) considered the dangers.

The Tony McEvoy-trained Hey Doc races for the first time since his upset win in the Group Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes (1200m) at The Valley and is a Group 1 winner at the track in the Australian Guineas (1600m).

Redkirk Warrior represents the Lindsay Park stable whose lead trainer David Hayes took out the race back in 2010 with Nicconi, one year before the three-peat of the now namesake Black Caviar (2011-13).

A seven-year-old Hong Kong import, Redkirk Warrior was the first first-up Newmarket Handicap winner in a century last Super Saturday but failed to match Redzel in The Everest (10^th) or Darley Classic (11^th) last campaign.

Terravista is the veteran in the mix, Joe Pride’s Captain Rio eight-year-old still in evergreen form.

He was runner-up in the Darley Classic on Emirates Stakes Day last time out and is out to defend his Lightning Stakes win from last February when narrowly defeating Spieth home in the 1000m clash.

To back Redzel to win the Black Caviar Lightning 2018 at the right price this weekend head to Ladbrokes.com.au.