Last year’s winner Vega Magic is the short priced favourite to make it back to back wins in the Group 1 $1m New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au have kept Vega Magic safe in the betting and on race eve the Lindsay Park trained sprinter was heading the market order at $2.60 ahead of the James Cummings trained Kementari at $4.40 and Doncaster Mile winner Happy Clapper at $5.50.

Vega Magic was an all the way winner in the 2017 Memsie Stakes and is in winning form going into this year’s race coming of a first up victory in the Group 3 $150,000 The Big Screen Company Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on July 28.

Vega Magic raced with the blinkers on in the Bletchingly Stakes but the Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig have decided to take them off and the big chestnut will race with the winkers back on in the first Group 1 of the 2018 Melbourne Spring Carnival.

“Vega Magic’s win in the Bletchingly Stakes was very impressive and it’s been backed up by Voodoo Lad, who ran second to him then and has since come out and won the Aurie’s Star,” co-trainer Ben Hayes told racing.com.

“We’ve taken the blinkers off and winkers go back on so he should settle a bit better for Ollie (Damien Oliver) this time and kick very strongly in the straight.

“We know he has a high cruising speed and I was thrilled with barrier six, he needs galloping room so Damien Oliver will just be able to sit where he’s comfortable.

“If there are horses that want to go a hundred miles an hour we’ll be able to take a sit.

“I think he can win the race again.”

Vega Magic set the pace in the Blectchingly Stakes but Damien Oliver will be able to take a sit in the Memsie Stakes with noted front runner Jungle Edge certain to make sure there is plenty of speed up front.

Vega Magic has drawn in the middle of the field at barrier six with the second favourite Kementari (Glyn Schofield) drawn outside of him at gate eight.