Trainer Ciaron Maher felt his two-year-old filly was likely to head to Randwick for the group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200 metres) on Saturday.

But admitted the group 3 Black Opal (1200m) at Thoroughbred Park the following day was a possibility.

The $11 Slipper fourth-favourite is one of 14 dual nominations that will play the annual game of nominating both in Sydney's two-year-old feature races - the Reisling and the Todman Stakes (1200m) - as well as in Canberra for the $250,000 Opal.

Everyone then tries to guess where their competitors will go and work out where their best hopes lie from there.

Nominations close for Canberra on Tuesday, with acceptances finalised two days later.

Black Opal Day kicks off the inaugural Canberra Racing Carnival, which has seen the Opal split apart from the Canberra Cup to form a two-day event.

The listed Canberra Cup (2000m) will headline the racing on the Monday, when the listed Canberra Guineas (1400m) will also be run.

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Maher said he was could bring a number of two-year-olds to Canberra for the Opal and he also had Mask Of Time nominated for the National Sprint (1400m), which will also be run on the Sunday..

Cellsabeel finished fourth in the $1 million Golden Gift (1100m) last year and was fifth in the group 2 Silver Slipper (1100m) last start.

Mask Of Time has also been nominated for the listed March Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday and will likely run in it rather than come to Canberra.

"We've entered a couple and we'll work it out. There's a few two-year-olds there and there's an older horse, Mask Of Time," Maher said.

"[Cellsabeel] will probably go to the Reisling."

While Cellsabeel looks unlikely, there was more chance inaugural Canberra Mile winner Cinquedea would make the trip down the Hume Highway.

The Richard and Michael Freedman-trained gelding has also been nominated for the listed Randwick City Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on Saturday.

The four-year-old won the Mile to claim automatic entry into the Canberra Cup.

It's a special race for Richard Freedman, who won the race with superstar Super Impose back in 1992.

Freedman grew up in Yass and went to school at Canberra Grammar before embarking on a massively successful racing career.

"I think we're bringing Cinquedea down for the Cup. There'll be a couple of others going, but it's not confirmed yet," Freedman said.

"We were a bit disappointed in Cinquedea getting a 14-point lift in his benchmark rating after winning the Canberra Mile.

"I thought that was a bit excessive. Anyway, makes life harder.

"He's the one most likely to come.

"He won that Canberra Mile with 54 kilograms, but he'll have to carry a fair bit more than that now I'll imagine so that will complicate things somewhat.

"It's always nice to win a nice race. It would be nice to win another Canberra Cup. That's for sure."