Lightning Stakes attracts 15 nominations

The Kris Lees-trained mare In Her Time and star filly Sunlight are among the headline nominations for the Group One Lightning Stakes which also features two-year-old filly Jedastar.

Saturday’s weight-for-age 1000m-sprint on the straight course at Flemington has attracted 15 entries with Lees set to also saddle up quality three-year-old colt Graff.

In Her Time was a close second to multiple Group One winner Santa Ana Lane in the Group One VRC Sprint Classic (1200m) at Flemington in November and is the highest-rated horse among the Lightning nominations.

The Tony McEvoy-trained Sunlight is already a Group One winner at Flemington having taken out the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) for three-year-olds last spring.

She defeated the Chris Waller-trained colts Zousain and Lean Mean Machine and the Grahame Begg-trained Written By in the Coolmore and that trio has also all been nominated for the Lightning.

On Monday the TAB installed Graff and Sunlight as early $4.50 favourites in its all in market, with Godolphin’s Osborne Bulls and Zousain both $6 ahead of In Her Time at $7.

Trainer Lloyd Kennewell has entered two-year-old filly Jedastar who will have 44kg with apprentice Chris Caserta booked to ride.

The James Cummings-trained Osborne Bulls is scheduled to resume having finished third in the $13 million Everest in Sydney in October before winning the Group Two Linlithgow Stakes (1200m) over the straight course at Flemington in November.

Saturday’s Group Three C S Hayes Stakes (1400m) for three-year-old colts and geldings has attracted 26 nominations, headlined by Victoria Derby winner Extra Brut, while Thousand Guineas winner Amphitrite and runner-up Fundamentalist are among the 18 entries for the Group Three Vanity (1400m) for three-year-old fillies.