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Likely Australian Horse of the Year Nature Strip will make his first raceday appearance this season in the Concorde Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) at Randwick on Saturday in what will be a small field.

Only five rivals were nominated to take him on, with Lightning Stakes winner Gytrash and Arrowfield 3YO Sprint conqueror Splintex joined by ten-year-old Ball Of Muscle, honest mare Fiesta and improving sprinter Dirty Work.

With entries extended, trainer Danny Williams threw in the well-travelled Prairie Fire, but other entries are likely to be few and far between.

Nature Strip finished fourth to Gytrash in the Lightning Stakes firstup last preparation, but trainer Chris Waller expects a different result this time around.

"The 1000 (metres) up the straight is a little different to 1000 (metres) around a bend," Waller said of the front-runner.

"We will have the brakes on but I don't know if they will work."