The Spring Racing Carnival concludes in Melbourne for another year with a bang on Saturday with the running of Sandown Guineas Day at Caulfield. Featuring an all black-type, nine-race program, Sportingbet Park’s biggest meeting on the calendar is being run at Caulfield this year with the Sandown track currently undergoing renovations, reports Racing Victoria's Ben Asgari.

Aside from the action on the track, the day also features plenty of family entertainment off the track including pony rides, a jumping castle, a reptile farm and face painting, as well as Richmond Football Club player appearances and football activities.

There will also be the annual charity national anthem performance and mascot race, with the Melbourne Racing Club’s ‘Clip Clop Clyde’ looking to gain revenge on the Richmond Football Club’s ‘Tiger Stripes’.

Turning attention to the on-course entertainment and the trainer Peter Snowden will be searching for a fourth victory in six seasons when he saddles two runners in the $350,000 Group 2 Sandown Guineas (1600m).

Snowden will run both Paximadia, who will be partnered by Kerrin Mcevoy from barrier five, and Champollion, who has drawn in gate eight for Steven Arnold.

First and last respectively in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Flemington last start, should either galloper get the job done on Saturday they would join Snowden’s previous winners Caymans (2008), Kidnapped (2009) and Tatra (2012) on the honour roll.

Other key barrier draws include Carbine Club third and fourth placegetters Equator (barrier nine) and Best Case (four), as well as Shea Eden’s Apollo’s Choice (11), who comes off a most-unlucky fourth placing in the Listed Hilton Hotels Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.

The second of the Group 2 features on the program, the $350,000 Zipping Classic (2400m), is highlighted by a re-match between last Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes quinella of Precedence and Sertorius.

Though the Bart and James Cummings-trained veteran meets Sertorius 2.5kg better off for having defeated him by a head at Flemington, Sertorius has drawn the inside barrier for jockey Ryan Maloney with Precedence set to begin from stall four for Craig Williams.  

The pair appear unlikely to get things their own way again with Group 1 Spring Classic (NZ, 2000m) winner Ransomed (barrier six), progressive Sam Kavanagh-trained import Mid Summer Sun (two) and classy mares Queenstown (eight), Kazanluk (10) and Epingle (seven) also sure to make their presence felt.

A further highlight on what is shaping as an exceptional card of racing promises to be the $135,000 Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1200m) which features a stellar field of 13 runners headed by dual Group 1 winning mare Platelet.

Drawn in barrier seven for jockey Michelle Payne, Platelet is joined in the race by her Darren Weir-trained stable mate Lonhspresso, who will jump from gate three for Ben Melham.

In arguably the strongest renewal of the race in years other key draws include Pinwheel (barrier 12), Hot Snitzel (10), Famous Seamus (two), Pago Rock (eight), Lankan Rupee (four) and She Can Skate (13).

Though he doesn’t have a runner in this year’s Zipping Classic, Lloyd Williams will use the $150,000 Group 3 Snowhite Maintenance Eclipse Stakes (1800m) to unveil another of his imports in Hartani.

Set to line up against the likes of Sale Cup (160m) winner Mouro and the Gai Waterhouse-trained Shannon Stakes (1500m) victor Rain Drum, the race should give a good guide to the five-year-old son of Shirocco’s ability.

The action kicks off on Saturday with the running of the $120,000 Listed Desiree Gil Tribute Stakes (1000m) for the two-year-olds at 12.15pm and concludes with the running of the $150,000 Group 3 Le Pine Funerals Summoned Stakes (1600m) for the mares at 5.30pm.

Click here to view the full fields, form and barriers for Sandown Guineas Day at Caulfield