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Balaklava celebrates its biggest day on the racing calendar this afternoon with the staging of the $80,000 Balaklava Cup over 1600m.

One of the less fashionable of the early races in the spring each year, the Balaklava Cup has proven time and again a valid lead-up for horses wishing to venture east to Melbourne in pursuit of major riches.

Just four years ago the race was taken out by the Jake Stephens-trained Alcopop who went on to win the Herbert Power Stakes before jumping as favourite in the Melbourne Cup that year.

Alcopop’s Balaklava Cup win netted a Timeform figure of 96 – well below what he would go on to run later in the spring but still an important part of his campaign that year.

Twelve months ago it was Bagman who won the race for Sam Kavanagh running to a figure of 107, the strongest winning run in the race since Roman Arch won it in 2003 en route to winning the Group 1 Toorak Handicap.

As is usually the case, a capacity field will line up again this afternoon.

Bagman’s win last year raised the average winning rating over the past five renewals to a shade over 101.

Yet just one horse in this field has proven himself capable of running above that figure consistently, and that’s the French import Gris Caro.

Interestingly enough this four-year-old entire was purchased for the Stephens stable as a replacement for the South Australian horse of the year, and recently retired Alcopop.

Gris Caro profiles as a potential spring cups contender this year and his best form rates well clear of this lot on weight-adjusted Timeform ratings, given he’s managed to sneak in with just 56.5kg on his back.

It’s not quite as easy as it sounds though which explains his $6.50 price tag.

He’s never raced over the mile, and first-up in a new country over an untried trip is always a query.

But Stephens says he’s been working well, and a pair of 1000m jumpouts should have him primed for the shorter trip.

Dom Tourneur takes the ride looking for his second Balaklava Cup (the first came on Civil in 2005,Matthew Neilson rode Alcopop in 2009), and he should find a nice spot from gate five.

His international form which reads four wins and four minor placings from nine starts suggests he might just prove too classy for these.

Golden Penny looks the strongest of the locals after her recent win in the Listed Sportingbet Penny Edition Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville Parks 11 days ago.

The run netted a weight-adjusted Timeform figure of 101 and she looked to have plenty left in the tank as she pulled clear of them on the line.

The six-year-old Richard Jolly mare is untried over the mile, but is giving every indication she’ll run out the trip.

She certainly warrants plenty of thought this afternoon.

Little Akie has been freshened up for this after a dream run this campaign which has yielded three wins from three starts.

He’s improved his rating with each run and he has a solid record fresh too so don’t be concerned by any lack of fitness off the seven-week break.

His last win in a Benchmark 68+ at Morphettville Parks earned a weight-adjusted figure of 99 and he now gets up to the mile which is easily his best trip. Expect him to be there when it matters.

One more I’m interested in at blowout odds is Final Command.

He never looked likely resuming in the Group 3 Spring Stakes (1200m) 25 days ago beaten 8.7L by Just Discreet, but he was never going to run much of a race in that.

He’s up to the mile now which is much more suitable and should be a lot fitter for that resuming run.

Back in March he won a Restricted 94 race at Morphettville Parks over 1550m running to a weight-adjusted Timeform figure of 105.

Given only a handful of these have produced figures like that before, he could be worth tossing into the quadrella.