With six runners in the field for the group 2, 3200m race, including a couple that have shown meteoric rises in form in recent months, there's a big possibility the time-honoured Cup will find a new home in one of a number of Miners Rest stables.

Leading Ballarat's charge is the Richard Cully-trained Excelleration with the seven-year-old gelding racing in career best form of late.

Remarkably in his last two runs, Excelleration has won the Great Western Cup before stepping up to win the Launceston Cup in his very next start.

Almost as is incredibly a jump is the form of the Pat Kearney-trained Yellowbrick Road who's charge to the Emerald City has been incredible in recent months.

In November, Yellowbrick Road, a five-year-old gelding was slogging around the country cup circuit. Strong results like a third in the Mortlake Cup and then a second in the Ararat Cup gave no indication of what was ahead for.

Since freshening up after his spring campaign, Yellowbrick Road has won a BM70 race over 2100m at Sandown Lakeside on February 7 before winning the group 3 Lord Reims over 2600m at Morphettville on February 24.

These two surprise packets aren't the only Ballarat-trained runners set to have an impact on South Australia's biggest racing day, with Matt Cumani's eight-year-old gelding Team Captain, to be ridden by Ballarat's Jaylah Kennedy also looking set for a big run.

Dan O'Sullivan will saddle up One Last Kiss while Terry Kelly will have the ever-consistent Skelm while champion jockey Kieren McEvoy will ride Andrew Payne's Oceanic Flash. There's also a big opportunity for Ballarat-jockey Alana Kelly who has been booked to ride mare Rapinoe.

Ballarat trainers also have a stake in the other feature event on the card, the Morphettville Guineas over 1600m with Andrew Noblet's East Dun among the top fancies and will be ridden by John Allen. Ciaron Maher also will saddle up Time To Chat in the same race.

Meanwhile, it was a case of so close, yet so far for Ballarat-trained runners on Newmarket Handicap Day at Flemington on Saturday with the Dan O'Sullivan-trained Berkeley Square running back into form with a second placing behind Young Werther in the Australia Cup Prelude over 1800m and looks to be a strong contender for the Australia Cup on March 30.

It was also a second placing for Archie Alexander's Vivy Air in the Super Saturday Plate behind Peter Moody's Legacies while Tony and Calvin McEvoy's Rue de Royale was also second in the Group 2 Sires' Produce Stakes over 1400m.

Racing on Monday returns to Ballarat with a nine-race card on the day with the feature being the $80,000 BM84 handicap of 1100 which was moved from Flemington on Saturday as a way of having horses running in the heat of the day. Heat is likely to also be a factor on the race day on Monday as well.