Enjoying a fine run in the Athletics Victoria XCR’15 Series with a sequence of top 10 finishes,  van Raaphorst has the potential to dominate over the 6.4 kilometres.

He already has his name on the Suffren honour roll and with the likes of  last year’s winner Jack Davies injured and the classy Duer Yoa also missing, van Raaphorst has never been better placed to add to his 2011 success on the course.

Van Raaphorst is using the assignment at Burrumbeet as a launching pad to the Gold Coast Marathon on Sunday, July 5.

Eureka’s Jesse Fullerton and Ballarat Harriers duo James Attard and Paul Burge, who is also a past winner of this event, loom as the most likely to challenge the YCW favourite.

This is the fourth race in the Ballarat Regional Athletic Centre winter series and dates back to 1948.

As well as being competitive in the open men’s division, Burge shapes as a major contender in the 40-plus category along with the likes of Andrew Lang (YCW) and Tony Preston (BH). Nicholas Fidler (Wendouree), Joel Duffy (Harriers) and Fullerton should be the frontrunners in the under-16, under-18 and under-20 races.

Courtney Scott will start as favourite in the women’s open 3km event.

However, she might not get everything her own way with the emerging Tahlee Van Roosmalen (YCW), Rachel Gibney (Harriers) and Angela Williams (Wendouree) likely to be biting at her heels.

Louise Wood (YCW), who finished just outside the placegetters in the Suffren last year, and  big improver Amy Canavan (Eureka) should also be among the leaders.

As a mark of respect, athletes  will hold one-minute of silence before the men’s race in honour of legendary distance runner Ron Clarke, who died this week.

Race schedule:

2pm: under-12 boys’ and girls’ 1600m lap of the racecourse.

2.15pm: men’s 6.4km

2.45pm: women’s and under-14 men 3km