A look at the races considered the two premier lead-ups to the Australian Guineas

The Autumn Stakes has a long connection with the Australian Guineas and counts some of the Guineas most famous winners as horses who have done the double.

King's High, Dignity Dancer, Dash For Cash, Apache Cat and Light Fantastic are the five horses who have won the Autumn Stakes and the Guineas.

But the Autumn Stakes' influence on the 1600-metre Group 1 at Flemington has waned since the first decade of the 21st century.

Southport Tycoon last year rounded out his Guineas preparations in the 1400m Group 2 at Caulfield, but you've got to go back to Heart Of Dreams in 2009 for the previous Guineas winner to have come through the Autumn Stakes.

The following year was the last time an Autumn Stakes winner started favourite in the Guineas, when Denman ran fourth at $1.60.

Angel Capital looks set to rectify that this year with the Clinton Mcdonald-trained colt the $4 top pick as of Thursday morning.

The son of Harry Angel brilliantly won the Autumn Stakes on February 8 with Plymouth (second), Detroit City (fourth) and first emergency Statuario (fifth) the only others from the Autumn Stakes engaged on Saturday.

Nine of this year's field come out of the Group 3 C S Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on February 15, including the first seven over the line, headed by runaway 3-1/4-length winner Sepals.

Eight C S Hayes Stakes winners have also won the Guineas, while six of the last 10 Guineas winners came through that race.

The Racing And Sports Rating system considered Sepals the stronger performance of the two main lead-ups, affording the Cliff Brown-trained gelding a figure of 113 with Angel Capital assessed at 111.

The highest rating returned by any of this year's Guineas field is Feroce's 114, via his Caulfield Guineas second placing, while Savaglee owns a mark of 112.

That colt is looking to become just the second Kiwi winner of the Australian Guineas, behind 2023 winner Legarto, while only two other New Zealanders have managed a top-three placing since the race reverted to a 1600m event in 2001.

Darci Brahma finished second to Apache Cat in 2006, while Jokers Wild was third the following year when Miss Finland won the edition run at Caulfield.

Miss Finland is one of six fillies to have won the Australian Guineas and is the only Thousand Guineas winner on the honour roll, something the lone filly in this year's field – Another Prophet– is trying to achieve.