The final field of weight-for-age champions set to contest this Saturday’s $350,000 Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield, one of the first two Group 1 races of the 2010 Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, has been released.

Twelve quality gallopers will line up in the 2010 Rokk Ebony Underwood Stakes on Saturday, 10 of which are heading towards a run in the 2010 Cox Plate on October 23.

The star studded Underwood Stakes field is headlined by the winners of last spring’s two major races, Melbourne Cup winner Shocking and Cox Plate victor So You Think.

Early favourite at Sportsbet to win the 2010 Melbourne Cup on Tuesday November 2, Mark Kavanagh’s Shocking has drawn barrier six in the Underwood and will be ridden by Michael Rodd.

Shocking is coming off a win in the Group 2 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at the start of the month but faces a tough test on Saturday.

Bart Cumming’s High Chaparral four-year-old So You Think is favoured to win back-to-back Cox Plates this year and is having their second spring start in the Underwood after winning the Memsie Stakes last month.

An ideal barrier two draw for Saturday will have So You Think at the top of the Underwood odds through Sportsbet.

Cummings also has his Queensland Derby winning mare Dariana lining up in barrier eight and Moatize out wide in gate 11.

Update: Bart Cummings’ Moatize has been scratched from the 2010 Underwood Stakes and is set to miss the remainder of the spring after suffering a tendon injury

Other runners in the Underwood Stakes this Saturday entered for the Cox Plate include Metal Bender, Heart Of Dreams, Zavite, Red Ruler, Buccellati, Largo Lad and Zabrasive.

Cox Plate Entries running in Underwood Stakes:

Horse	Cox Plate Odds*
So You Think	3.80
Metal Bender	15.00
Heart Of Dreams	26.00
Shocking	21.00
Dariana	51.00
Zabrasive	61.00
Red Ruler	81.00
Zavite	101.00
Buccellati	101.00
Largo Lad	121.00

*Odds provided by Sportsbet and are subject to change.

Chris Waller’s Warwick Stakes winner and another early fancy for the Cox Plate, Metal Bender has drawn barrier seven and will have Hugh Bowman aboard as the five-year-old gelding has its first Melbourne run.

In the coveted rails draw is the Mick Price-trained Heart Of Dreams coming off an impressive second to Shocking in the Makybe Diva Stakes, and who could cause an upset in the Underwood at good odds with a bit of luck.

The other Group 1 race at Caulfield on Saturday is the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m).

It is an elite day or racing scheduled with other highlights including the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas and Thousand Guineas Preludes and the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes where the winner will be exempt from ballot for the 2010 Caulfield Cup and also earn a penalty for the Melbourne Cup.

Leading online bookie [sportsbet] is set to open their Underwood Stakes betting markets shortly, so join up with them now and get ready to lock in great odds for your favourites!

2010 Underwood Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Br.	Weight (kg)	Hcp. Rating
1	SHOCKING	Mark Kavanagh	Michael Rodd	6	59	117
2	MASTER O’REILLY (NZ)	Danny O’Brien	Dwayne Dunn	4	59	108
3	ZAVITE (NZ)	Anthony Cummings	Ben Melham	3	59	110
4	METAL BENDER (NZ)	Chris Waller	Hugh Bowman	7	59	116
5	HEART OF DREAMS	Mick Price	Damien Oliver	1	59	114
6	RED RULER (NZ)	John Sargent	Nicholas Hall	9	59	107
7	BUCCELLATI (GB)	Tony Noonan	Craig Williams	12	59	109
8	LARGO LAD	David Hayes	Brad Rawiller	5	59	106
SCRATCHED	MOATIZE	Bart Cummings	Chris Symons	11	59	105
10	SO YOU THINK (NZ)	Bart Cummings	Steven Arnold	2	58	118
11	ZABRASIVE (NZ)	John O’Shea	Craig Newitt	10	58	107
12	DARIANA	Bart Cummings	Luke Nolen	8	56	106