Phillip Stokes’ shock last start Toorak Handicap winner Mr Quickie headlines the 52 milers making-up the Kennedy Cantala Stakes 2020 nominations this Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Upset Toorak Handicap winner Mr Quickie heads the 2020 Kennedy Cantala nominations this Melbourne Cup Carnvial. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

One of the elite level features run at Flemington on VRC Derby Day, Saturday October 31, nominations for the Group 1 $1.5 million Kennedy Cantala (1600m) closed on Monday October 19.

Heading updated Kennedy Cantala odds at Ladbrokes.com.au on the early entries is Mr Quickie, the Shamus Award five-year-old last seen taking out the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) by two lengths at a big price.

Also featured in this year’s early entries are the three horses from the winning Kennedy Cantala Stakes trifecta of 2019 led by the defending champion Fierce Impact.

Matthew Smith’s well-bred Fierce Impact stallion completed the Toorak Handicap – Cantala Stakes double in 2019 that Mr Quickie is tipped to emulate this season.

The now seven-year-old added a third Group 1 success in this September’s Makybe Diva Stakes over the Flemington mile and most recently finished third to Kolding in the Group 2 Hill Stakes (2000m) in Sydney.

Should Fierce Impact return and win again he will become the first back-to-back Cantala Stakes winner since Seacray (1994-95).

In last year’s Kennedy Cantala results Fierce Impact beat home Fifty Stars (2^nd) and Cascadian (3^rd), those two horses also featuring in the nominations for a 2020 rematch.

The Lindsay Park-trained Fifty Stars is a Flemington specialist having won the Group 2 Blame Stakes – Group 1 Australian Cup double over a mile and 2000m respectively in the autumn.

His latest run was a second-up third at Caulfield on Cup Day in the Group 3 Moonga Stakes (1400m) won by Wild Planet for Hawkes Racing – another Kennedy-nominated miler in good form this prep.

Last year’s third placegetter Cascadian meanwhile is Godolphin-raced and out to improve on an eighth in the Toorak from October 10.

Another of the early all-in favourites being kept safe in the Kennedy Cantala odds online is the Michael Moroney-trained Buffalo River.

The American-bred son of Noble Mission boasts a 50% winning strike-rate over his 12-start career to date and caught the eye when runner-up in the Toorak, admittedly getting in on a lightweight.

Sydney’s best Chris Waller presents with a typically tough contingent of 13 Kennedy Cantala nominations in his bid for a fourth victory following his earlier wins with: Albert The Fat (2011), Boban (2013) and most recently Shillelagh (2017).

Among the best in the mix for Waller are dual Cox Plate placegetter Humidor, talented Group 1 winning mare Funstar, last weekend’s Tristarc Stakes winner Madam Rouge and Cox Plate-bound Kolding.

The 2020 Kennedy Cantala final field is announced on Wednesday October 28 with updated odds available in full here.

2020 Kennedy Cantala Stakes Nominations

   Table Credit: Racing Australia.