“It’s an iconic event. The entries confirm this.”

Shaw said while the 90km handicap had always had appeal, the move to early in the road season rather than mid-winter made it even more attractive  – coming off the back of criterium racing and offering better conditions.

Close to 200 riders will contest Saturday’s event, which for the first time will finish in Buninyong.

The field will again be flagged away at Rockbank and follow the Western Freeway through testing Pentland Hills to Warrenheip, where in a first it will turn and take Yankee Flat Road  and Gear Avenue to Geelong Road for a finish at the northern end of Warrenheip Street.

The now retired Shaw followed in his father Dennis' footsteps by taking out the 103^rd edition of the Melbourne Ballarat in 2013.

He won from scratch on what was described as “brutal” day for riders, with winds gusting up to 50kmh.

Shaw, who will be a finish line commentator, said it was race which always had the potential to throw something difficult at riders.

He believes this year’s event is wide open.

“There doesn’t appear to be any stand-out chances. It looks very even.”

Just 30 minutes will separate the outmarkers from the scratch group – another reason for the open nature of the race.

More than 20 Ballarat Sebastopol Cycling Club riders are in the field.

These include Nick White in the scratch bunch of 14.

Brunswick’s Conor Murtagh is another to watch in this group.

Murtagh is a great story of determination, having returned to racing after being seriously injured in a hit-run while riding in Lygon Street, Carlton, in late 2015.

Then 22 years of age and riding for team Charter Mason in the National Road Series, Murtagh suffered spinal and neck injuries. 

The first riders start at 10am.