The resuming three-year-old stars from last spring dominate the Black Caviar Lightning 2025 field and betting markets for Flemington‘s short-distance sprint feature this weekend in Melbourne as the autumn carnival heats up.

Chris Waller‘s Coolmore Stud Stakes winning colt Switzerland and the Ciaron Maher trained third placegetter out of that same Flemington ‘Straight Six’ showdown, Growing Empire, are battling it out in markets on Saturday’s Group 1 $1 million Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Headquarters.

Switzerland is the young, resuming favourite as the punters’ pick fresh for the autumn at $2.90 in the post-field Black Caviar Lightning odds at Ladbrokes.com.au.

He enjoyed a stellar spring, is proven at the track, goes well first-up, and will be partnered by James McDonald.

He’ll need to be good kicking off his campaign against the older horses but ticks plenty of boxes and will love the 55.5kg looking to join Home Affairs (2022) and the filly Coolangatta (2023) as the last three-year-old Black Caviar Lightning winning three-year-olds.

Occupying the second line of current Black Caviar Lightning betting this autumn at $3.80, Growing Empire will jump one on the inside of Switzerland (7) with barrier six for jockey Mark Zahra.

The consistent Zoustar colt hasn’t finished out of the money in his eight career starts to date and chases a maiden elite level victory to add to his growing record.

Boasting a 50% winning strike rate as a four-time winner he was knocking on the door of the majors last prep including a brilliant performance in the world’s richest turf race when third to his stablemate Bella Nipotina beaten only 1.3 lengths in the $20 million The Everest.

Runner-up in the Group 1 Manikato at The Valley the run prior, Growing Empire was three lengths off Switzerland in the Coolmore and is out to turn the tables on the weekend.

The other gun three-year-old in this year’s Black Caviar Lightning field is the Godolphin raced Traffic Warden at $6 with last weekend’s CF Orr Stakes winning jockey Jamie Melham booked for the ride.

James Cummings’ Street Boss colt has won three of his 10 starts ahead of the autumn and is best known for his runners-up performance in the Group 1 Golden Rose in Sydney.

Things went amiss down the straight here when 10th in the Coolmore last time out despite plenty of pre-race hype from the stable but it seems punters are willing to give him another go looking at his single figure quote for Saturday’s feature.

Completing the Black Caviar Lightning contenders under $10 for the win at time of publish is the early market mover I Am Me ($8).

The second best for Maher in the race, this six-year-old daughter of I Am Invincible has an imposing first-up record (6:4-0-2) and is a genuine short-distance specialist having won two from three over the 1000m.

The 2025 Black Caviar Lightning is set to run as Flemington Race 8 at 4:15pm (AEDT) on Saturday’s 10-race card.

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