A host of fit winter stars do battle at Flemington on Saturday in an outstanding edition of the Aurie’s Star Handicap 2021 in the lead-up to the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

Upset VRC Derby champion Johnny Get Angry returns to racing in Saturday’s 2021 Aurie’s Star Handicap back at HQ. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Set to run as Flemington Race 8 at 4:30pm, this year’s Group 3 $200,000 World Horse Racing Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) field features 15 runners led in betting by the Leon & Troy Corstens-trained The Astrologist ($4.60 @ Ladbrokes.com.au).

The Zoustar five-year-old is drawn midfield in gate eight and chases a third win from four starts coming off a strong winter campaign.

He enjoyed back-to-back Flemington wins including July’s Listed All Victorian Sprint Series Final over the six furlongs before a close third only a half-length beaten in Caulfield’s Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m).

The Astrologist faces a challenge here against a field of in-form sprinters, but he has the fitness edge in the Aurie’s Star field and returns to his pet track on Saturday.

It is a wide open Aurie’s Star Handicap betting market on the weekend with a further six single-figure fancies including the Danny O’Brien-trained stablemates Banquo ($7.50) and Group 1 runner-up Order Of Command ($8.50).

Written Tycoon entire Banquo is Group 1 performed at the track (Newmarket Handicap 5^th) and a Group 2 placegetter when runner-up to Zoutori in last September’s Bobbie Lewis Quality.

He comes off a second to The Astrologist in the All Victorian Sprint Series Final and is out to turn the tables this weekend from barrier three third-up with Damian Lane in the saddle.

Kicking off his spring campaign is the Ben & JD Hayes-trained Aysar ($7.50) in gate nine with premier hoop Jamie Kah aboard the now four-year-old son of Deep Field.

Aysar is out to shrug his place-getter status having strung together a host of second placings last time out including in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) behind Ole Kirk.

Last start Listed Glasshouse Handicap winner in Queensland King Of Hastings ($8) and Saab Hasan’s resuming Wanted seven-year-old Sirius Suspect ($8.50) are the next best in betting.

Rounding out the horses under $10 Aurie’s Star Handicap odds is the rails-drawn Regardsmaree ($9.50) for local horseman Nick Ryan.

The So You Think five-year-old enjoyed a hat-trick of wins back at the start of the year and hasn’t raced since a fourth in the Echa Cup back in March.

There will also be eyes on triple-figure outsider, the returning VRC Derby champion Johnny Get Angry ($126) for former AFL Premiership coach Denis Pagan.

The youngster makes his four-year-old debut here and races for the first time since his upset win at HQ in last October’s Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) nine months ago.

Click here for the latest Aurie’s Star Handicap 2021 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2021 Aurie’s Star Handicap Field & Barriers

Table Credit: Racing Australia.