Vandyke will send around first starter three-year-old Lord Marmaduke in the opening event at Sportsbet-Ballarat  – the TGM Group Maiden, 1200m.

The Warwick Farm trainer rarely ventures to Victoria despite having one of Sydney’s leading stables. He had just the one starter south of the Murray River last season – running stable star Arabian Gold in the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield in October.

Racing Victoria record show he has had just the 10 runners in the start, for a three wins –  a record which reflects his strike rate in NSW. He finished ninth in the NSW statewide premiership last season with 62 wins at a strike rate of almost 20 per cent.

Vandyke was a promising trainer 25 years ago, but owing to personal issues left the profession for the best part of two decades before returning industry in 2010.

If it goes to plan for Vandyke, Lord Marmaduke might be the first of numerous runners in Victoria for him this spring. He has five nominations for the Caulfield Classic (including Lord Marmaduke) and four for the Melbourne Cup, three for the Caulfield Guineas, two for the Thousand Guineas, four for the Caulfield Cup and two for the Cox Plate.

One of his Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate hopes Prince Cheri is set to launch his Melbourne Spring Carnivalin the Craig Cup, 1600m, at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

Robert Hickmott, Ciaron Maher, Lee and Anthony Freedman also have spring hopefuls racing in Ballarat on Sunday.

Hickmott has the lightly raced Divan, which was a $500,000 yearling, in the Hygain Benchmark70 Handicap, 1600m. The NZ-bred four-year-old has not raced since finishing down the track in September last year. That was only his third start after a first-up third in listed company at Flemington in April last year and then a maiden win at Sandown Lakeside in August.

Maher has Cox Plate entry Azkadella in the Sportsbet Benchmark70 Handicap, 1000m. The four-year-old mare won on debut in NZ in July last year before scoring at her first outings for Maher at Wangaratta in September.

She has not raced since November when unplaced in the group 3 Carbine Club Stakes at Flemington.

The Freedmans have first-starter Rebound in the Porter Plant Maiden for fillies and mares, 1000m, hoping she can get to either the Golden Rose Stakes at Rosehill next Saturday, Caulfield Classic or Thousand Guineas.

Fresh from being named the Country Victorian club of the year, Ballarat Turf Club has programmed eight races to open its new season.