Sapphire Stars?

The Group III MRC Blue Sapphire Stakes was won last year by Flying Artie, a colt who went on to win the Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes and take top honours as Champion 3YO Colt, so it's well worth a good look at the field lining up for the $350,000 sprint on Wednesday.

Champion sire Snitzel has three colts engaged in Summer Passage, Jukebox and Muraaqeb.

Already a Group I winner in New Zealand last season at two, Summer Passage was also second in the Group I ATC Sires Produce Stakes.

A last start second to Perast in the Group III MRC Caulfield Guineas Prelude, Summer Passage has been dropped back in trip here to the 1200 metres rather than going forward to the 1600 metres of the Caulfield Guineas.

Whether that was a good decision will be revealed at 4.25 pm!

Jukebox was unbeaten in three runs before being knocked off by star filly Catchy last start when second in the Group II VRC Danehill Stakes, but given that was his second run back after a long layoff, he should strip a lot fitter and sharper this time.

The form of Muraaqeb is not on a par with the other two colts, but you can't ignore a Snitzel in a stakes race!

Two quality fillies are set to make it interesting for the colts in Formality (Fastnet Rock) and Crown Witness (Star Witness), both are stakes-winners and have been in good form this spring, albeit Formality coming off a last start failure in the Group I ATC Golden Rose.

Not hard to forgive her that with a good gate and Kerrin McEvoy to ride, those colts better be on their A game!