Rising three-year-olds Haybah and Thurlow are set to return to the races at Moonee Valley on Saturday after being included in the nominations for a Benchmark 78 Handicap.

Thurlow is set to return to the races at Moonee Valley on Saturday. Photo by: Adrienne Bicknell

Thurlow has not been seen at the races since she finished an unlucky second behind Strykum in the Listed Queen Adelaide Stakes (1050m) at Morphettville on May 2 and is set to have her first ever start in a non-black-type event.

The Sebring filly made her racing debut with a second place finish behind Antelucan in the Group 3 Emirates Airline Plate (1000m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day and she claimed her maiden race win in the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on November 16 before she started her autumn preparation with a narrow win over Haybah in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) at Sandown on February 7.

Thurlow failed to fire in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 28 and she was sent to the spelling paddock following her second place finish in the Queen Adelaide Stakes.

Haybah only recorded two wins during her juvenile campaign, but she as one of the toughest fillies of her two-year-old generation and she was seen at the races on eight occasions.

She made her racing debut with a poor effort in the Emirates Airline Plate, but she produced a much improved effort when second in the Whites Wires Plate (1000m) at Moonee Valley on December 12 and she was fourth behind Headwater in the Cactus Imaging Plate (1000m) at the same venue on December 27.

Haybah claimed her maiden race win with a front-running victory at Ballarat on January 8 and she almost upset the talented Fontiton in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) at Sandown on January 26 before she finished second behind Thurlow in the Chairman’s Stakes.

The daughter of More Than Ready returned to winning form when she took out the Listed Cinderella Stakes (1050m) at Morphettville on February 28, but she was sent to the spelling paddock after she was outclassed in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 21.

Impressive debut winners Petits Filous has also been included in the nominations for the $80,000 event, while Stream Ahead and The Big Dance are also set to take unbeaten records into the race.

Shea Eden-trained Equinette, Hard Spun filly On Message, the unsighted Toss The Bouquet and Peter Moody-trained Vintage Valley could also make their racing debuts in the handicap event.