Over the years, more than a few racing fans have been confused with the Lawrence Stakes and Memsie Stakes.Both are Group 2 events run at weight-for-age over 1400 metres at Caulfield, generally during August, and feature a range of big-name horses in the early stages of preparations aimed at the Cups or the Cox Plate.But while they carry identical conditions, they have proved vastly different guides to spring features in recent years.While the Lawrence hasn't been a great precursor to spring glor

Over the years, more than a few racing fans have been confused with the Lawrence Stakes and Memsie Stakes.

Both are Group 2 events run at weight-for-age over 1400 metres at Caulfield, generally during August, and feature a range of big-name horses in the early stages of preparations aimed at the Cups or the Cox Plate.

But while they carry identical conditions, they have proved vastly different guides to spring features in recent years.

While the Lawrence hasn't been a great precursor to spring glory, the Memsie Stakes has become a reliable lead-up and if recent history is any guide at least one of the Big 3 - the Emirates Melbourne Cup, BMW Caulfield Cup and Sportingbet Cox Plate - will be won by a horse that runs in Saturday's $220,000 event.

While it wasn't the case last year - although Southern Speed did run in the 1400m mares' handicap on the Memsie Stakes Day card - the previous seven years saw it happen.

Makybe Diva launched her latter two successful Melbourne Cup campaigns in the Memsie - including a win in 2005, when she also won the Cox Plate - while Fields Of Omagh (2006), El Segundo (2007), Maldivian (2008) and So You Think (2010) are other Cox Plate winners in that time to have come through the Memsie.

Efficient's 2007 Melbourne Cup-winning campaign included a Memsie start, while Viewed ran in the race en route to his win in the 2009 Caulfield Cup.

Earlier, Northerly ran in the Memsie in 2002, a spring that saw him complete the Caulfield Cup-Cox Plate double, as did Sunline in 2000, later making it back-to-back wins in the Cox Plate.

They are promising signs for those engaged in the 2012 edition that have eyes on a bigger prize later in the spring.

Maluckyday, Niwot, Midas Touch, Green Moon, Voila Ici and Sanagas are among those on the Cups trail that are engaged, while Rekindled Interest, Sincero and Heart Of Dreams are some of the Cox Plate entries who will go around.

Most of those are returning from a spell, which has proven the winning Memsie formula most recently. While only four of the 23 winners between 1987 and 2009 were first-up, the past two victors - So You Think and King's Rose - were both resuming.

Mister Milton has had a couple of runs back from a spell, but the Norm Waymouth-trained gelding has age in his favour. Four-year-olds have won the past five runnings of the race - two mares, two geldings and one entire - and Mister Milton is the only four-year-old engaged this year.

Single-figure barriers have been an advantage with only two of the past 19 winners starting from gate 10 or wider.

Single-figures have also been important when it comes to starting prices with no winner at longer than $9 since Bundy Lad scored as a $13 chance in 1994.

And despite the similarity of the two races, the Lawrence-Memsie double has proven elusive with Regal Roller the only horse to have achieved it since the Memsie became a 1400m race in 1980.

Regal Roller was trained by Clinton McDonald, who is looking to complete the double again this year with Second Effort, impressive winner of the Lawrence Stakes on 18 August. (www.racingvictoria.net.au)