High class mare Streama will race in familiar surroundings at Rosehill rather than travel to Melbourne for the Lightning Stakes.

Trainer Guy Walter and the mare's owners made the decision to keep her in Sydney for her first-up assignment in the Group Two Breeders' Classic (1200m) on Saturday.

She was among the entries taken on Monday for the Group One Lightning (1000m) at Flemington but Walter said the decision to stay home was based on her long term aims.

"Our thinking was that she was not really a 1000 metre mare and her main game is in Sydney.

"We don't want to jeopardise her Sydney campaign. There is a long way to go."

The long term options include the Canterbury Stakes (1300m) and George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at weight-for-age on the way to the Doncaster Mile on April 12.

"She may run on Saturday and then not for another month," Walter said.

"If she got a nice weight in the Liverpool City Cup she would run there but otherwise we can give her a barrier trial and go to the Canterbury Stakes on the 15th of March."

Walter compared Streama's fitness levels favourably to those of her fellow triple Group One winning stablemate Appearance, a first-up winner of Saturday's Expressway Stakes.

"I think Streama is forward enough after two barrier trials to run a big race.

"But the entries are strong so it's not going to be an easy race."

There were 13 nominations for the Group Two mares race with Streama the highest rated on 115 and Red Tracer one point behind.

Streama hasn't raced since running a close second to Boban in the Epsom Handicap in October while Red Tracer will have her first start since she edged out her Chris Waller-trained stablemate Catkins in the Group One Myer Classic at Flemington in November.

Catkins has also been entered for Saturday's race with She's Clean rounding out a Waller trio.

Steps In Time, winner of the past two Breeders Classics in the care of John O'Shea, will be having her first start for new trainer Joe Pride.

Her owners transferred her to Pride to keep continuity in her campaign with O'Shea to move to Darley in May.

O'Shea will be represented by the unbeaten White Sage who claimed her first stakes win at her fifth start in the Listed Festival Stakes in November.