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Kris Lees will send out a four-strong team in a bid to continue his recent dominance of the Newcastle Stakes.

Novacastrian trainer Kris Lees is set to have one of his biggest representations in a hometown feature when he saddles up four runners in the Group 3 Newcastle Stakes.

With Kinloch scratched to run at Canberra's Black Opal Stakes meeting on Sunday, Lees will rely on Loch Eagle, Rustic Steel, Ucalledit and Acquitted in his quest to plunder the race for the fifth time in six years.

Despite his recent successes, winning Newcastle's biggest races is still something the born-and-bred local holds dear.

"Of course, you always try to win your hometown feature races and it's always hard to do," Lees said.

"But it has been a nice race for us.

"The favourite, Jimmysstar, is going to be very hard to beat, he's got a good spruik on him.

"But our horses have all got credentials in their own right."

The Ciaron Maher-trained Jimmysstar is an odds-on favourite for the Newcastle Stakes (1400m), while Loch Eagle and Rustic Steel are the most fancied of the Lees quartet at $11 apiece.

However, it is $21 chance Ucalledit who Lees nominates as his top seed.

A three-time Listed winner, Ucalledit has finished midfield at his two starts from a spell but nine of his 10 wins have been over the 1400 metres of the Newcastle Stakes and Lees believes he is ready to peak.

"Funnily enough, Ucalledit has shown good improvement in his trackwork and he is quite capable," Lees said.

"Loch Eagle, Rustic Steel and Acquitted are all first-up, but they are all very capable on their day too and coming off good preparations.

"Rustic Steel is probably the one who, on his day, is the best horse."

Jimmysstar makes his first NSW appearance having won five of his seven starts in New Zealand and Melbourne.

Usually a backmarker, the four-year-old suffered a controversial defeat at Flemington last start when ridden to lead before being overhauled by $151 outsider Makram, although that horse subsequently franked the form with a closing fourth to Atishu in the Group 2 Blamey Stakes.

Jimmysstar has been scratched from the Group 3 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap (1400m) at Flemington this weekend in preference for the Newcastle assignment.