The Melbourne Spring Carnival officially kicks off at Caulfield on Saturday and the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable are looking to be major players in the weeks ahead.

Two of their potential big race contenders – Mostly Cloudy and Alder – step out in the Quayclean Handicap (2000m), a step that has the potential to see them secure an important ratings boost to get into important lead-up races in coming weeks.

Both gallopers are entered in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 19 and are expected to feature in nominations for the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) when they close next Tuesday.

Mostly Cloudy will be having his first start since finishing an unlucky second in the Group 2 Brisbane Cup (3200m) in June.

Young said Saturday’s race was the ideal kick-off for Mostly Cloudy heading towards the Group 3 The Archer (2500m) on September 14 and the Group 3 The Bart Cummings (2500m) on October 5.

Both races are run at Flemington and offer a ballot exemption into the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 5.

“We’re going to try and get that ‘Willy Wonka ticket’ into the Melbourne Cup,” Young said.

“It was a great run, and a bit of an unlucky run, in the Brisbane Cup and after that we spelled him up there for a couple of weeks up in the sun.”

Young said Mostly Cloudy would not need a lot of racing to bring him to his top for The Archer.

“He had a long campaign and didn’t have long out after Brisbane,” Young said.

“There’s not much to him. He’s knee high to a grasshopper and lives on the smell of an oily rag. He doesn’t hold a lot of fat condition and is pretty fit.”

Busuttin and Young took the pair to Caulfield for a gallop on Tuesday morning.

Young said Alder had the better of Mostly Cloudy in the gallop but is hoping the gelding will put his best foot forward on Saturday.

Alder has had two runs since arriving from Europe and has pleased Young in both outings but needs to boost his rating to get into stronger races.

The gelding was not suited by the wet ground first-up at Caulfield then ran second to another import, Point King, at Moonee Valley on August 10.

“His work has been really good and I’m looking forward to Jamie Kah being on him,” Young said.

“If he can handle Caulfield and get things in his favour, I’m sure he’ll hit the line really strong.

“First-up he had really good sectionals then last time at The Valley, it probably wasn’t going to suit him, track wise, so to run second, I thought he did really well.”