A line-up of potential 2017 Queensland Derby-bound three-year-olds make up the Gunsynd Classic nominations for one of the two feature races at Eagle Farm Racecourse this weekend in Brisbane.

The $125,000 Group 3 Gunsynd Classic (1600m) attracted a bumper 19 early entries for the set weights mile feature on Victory Stakes Day this Saturday.

Many of the likely Gunsynd Classic betting favourites are eyeing a return to the track during the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival including a possible grand final on June 10 in the $600,000 Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m).

The highest rated of the Gunsynd Classic nominees this season is the James Cummings-trained VRC Derby winner Prized Icon.

The dual Group 1 winning More Than Ready colt hasn’t won a race since the Derby at Flemington last October, but was runner-up in the Australian Guineas over the mile this March.

His latest run saw him finish a mid-field seventh to the Kiwi raider Jon Snow in the Group 1 ATC Derby (2400m) on April 1 with the Gunsynd to be his first Queensland run if accepted for the Group 3.

Also high up the ratings but coming off a string of wins in the sunshine state is John Zielke’s Toowoomba-trained gelding Dreams Aplenty.

He saluted at Eagle Farm (1400m) and Doomben (1350m) in March before heading home to take out the Toowoomba Guineas (1625m) last start on April 8 in a dominant all-the-way performance.

After Saturday, Zielke has targets including the $350,000 Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) or possibly even the $1.5 million Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) over the Queensland Derby on the radar for Dreams Aplenty.

Also out to extend a winning streak is the local Steven O’Dea-trained Choisir gelding Let Me Say This.

The up-and-coming stayer saluted over 2000m in the mud at Doomben on March 25, the former Rockhampton-raced youngster earning his first black-type assignment back down over the mile in the Gunsynd Classic.

Two potential Queensland Oaks-bound fillies are nominated to take on the colts and geldings this weekend with Trevor Whittington’s Elusive Affair from the Gold Coast and the far better performed Candika.

Also prepared by Eagle Farm horseman O’Dea, the daughter of Sebring raced last Saturday at Doomben winning the Listed Princess Stakes (1600m) as the odds-on favourite by over three lengths.

She could get the chance to enjoy another stakes victory on the short back-up in Group 3 company for the first time since her fifth to Winning Rupert in the Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate (1300m) on New Year’s Eve.

Sunshine Coast trainer Stuart Kendrick has thrown in a nomination for his progressive Written Tycoon colt Spring Tycoon who comes off a second to Dreams Aplenty in the Toowoomba Guineas.

The Gunsynd Classic 2017 field and barriers are out on Wednesday followed by markets at Ladbrokes.com.au – home of the best Brisbane Group 1 racing odds this winter.

2017 Gunsynd Classic Nominations

Eagle Farm Racecourse – 29/04/2017

#	Form (Last 10)	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Ballot	Weight	Hcp. Rating
1	3351×62027	PRIZED ICON	C	3	James Cummings	1	57kg	107
2	8×25841131	CANDIKA	F	3	Steven O’dea	2	55kg	87
3	425x0x2111	DREAMS APLENTY	G	3	John Zielke	3	57kg	83
4	7221218×30	BALBOA ROCKS	G	3	Darryl Hansen	4	57kg	68
5	9x151x4822	SPRING TYCOON	C	3	Stuart Kendrick	5	57kg	71.5
6	32828×6446	VIOLATE	C	3	Brent Stanley	6	57kg	69
7	21x252L011	LET ME SAY THIS	G	3	Steven O’dea	7	57kg	63
8	3112×7	REALING	G	3	Matthew Dunn	8	57kg	68
9	x24122x234	KUBIS	G	3	Robert Heathcote	9	57kg	67
10	x333212x15	ATOUCHMORE	G	3	Matt Kropp	10	57kg	65
11	05x67716x1	HUNDRED	G	3	Brett Lunney	11	57kg	63
12	41644221×0	MOLA RAM	G	3	Barry Baldwin	12	57kg	65
13	422×13	SHADOW VISION	G	3	Kurt Goldman	13	57kg	61
14	216	ONLY CHOICE (NZ)	G	3	Kurt Goldman	14	57kg	60
15	4213×5	ORDER AGAIN (NZ)	G	3	Brian Smith	15	57kg	64
16	25x7269x21	SICARIO	G	3	Natalie Mccall	16	57kg	62
17	5×215	FAVOURITE UNCLE	G	3	Kurt Goldman	17	57kg	60
18	x745009x86	ELUSIVE AFFAIR	F	3	Trevor Whittington	18	55kg	55
19	7×64557	KUNMING	G	3	Gary Moore	19	57kg	–