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Smart South Australian mare En Francais will try and erase the memory of last season’s Sunline Stakes when she returns to Moonee Valley for Saturday’s $200,000 Group 3 Tesio Stakes (1600m).

The Jake Stephens-trained six-year-old was beaten more than 14 lengths when she last visited Melbourne and returns on the back of a game effort when she beat home all but Jack The Lad in the Listed Murray Bridge Cup.

"The barrier probably beat her again in the Murray Bridge Cup,'' Stephens said.

"Her run was super.

"Last time we came we travelled over the day before, it was hot and she didn't really handle it that well. She's not a bad traveller but I think heat and the fact she might have been at the end of her campaign all added up.

"We've come over a day earlier this time around, she's settled in well here at Ballarat and has the right barrier (three) for a race like this.

"It would be great to be able to put a Group 3 placing on her page,'' he said.

South Australia will also be represented by the impressive last-start Hill Smith Stakes winner Air Assault in the $400,000 Group 2 Vase (2040m).

Air Assault faces the outside barrier with Damien Lane booked to ride.

Lane will also partner the Michael Hickmott-trained Taunting earlier in the day who has drawn perfectly in barrier four in the opening race over 1000m.