Growing Empire faces a significant challenge in the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington, where he must justify the high expectations set by the Ciaron Maher stable.

The three-year-old has been assigned 55.5kg for the Group 1 1200m sprint on Saturday, a weight heavier than recent three-year-old winners of the race.

In past years, three-year-olds such as Cylinder (51.5kg), In Secret (51.5kg), Bivouac (54kg), and Sunlight (50.5kg) have triumphed in the Newmarket Handicap. Except for Cylinder, all were Group 1 winners before claiming victory.

Although Growing Empire has yet to secure a Group 1 win, Maher’s assistant trainer Jack Turnbull is confident it is only a matter of time.

“He has got plenty of weight, but he is a star colt. We’ve always said it,” Turnbull said.

“You look at his form last preparation. Third in the Coolmore, third in The Everest, he got beaten on the line by Southport Tycoon in the Manikato.

“Not many three-year-olds could do that with the travel as well.”

To help him settle better in the race, the stable has opted to remove the blinkers after he raced keenly when resuming in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on February 15, finishing seventh.

“He was exposed to the wind on the inside and he just raced with the choke out a little bit and didn’t really travel and relax and get into a rhythm,” Turnbull said.

“We’ll be riding for cover and then to use his turn of foot.

“If saved up, he is quite electric.”

The Maher stable will also have Buenos Noches in the Newmarket, making his debut for the yard after being previously trained by Matthew Smith.

Buenos Noches is set for his third attempt at Newmarket success, having finished seventh in 2023 and ninth last year.

“He’s kept improving in the time we’ve had him,” Turnbull said.

“He’s been up at our beach property in NSW for the most part and has been with us down here for around five weeks.

“He’s had three jump-outs, the second with blinkers on, which he completely resented, and he jumped-out quite poor, so we’ve stripped him back and changed things up.

“He’s an interesting character. He’s got the runs on the board, but he hasn’t done it for some time, and he needs to get back to that.

“He is a valuable commodity if he does win a big one and if we can get him back, I’m sure we can have some fun with him.”