Gai Waterhouse’s reigning Caulfield Cup champion Descarado has opened as the ante-post favourite to win the $500,000 Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick on Easter Saturday, April 23 after odds on the autumn feature were released this week.

The 2011 Sydney Cup, one of only a handful of races including the prestigious Melbourne Cup still run over the traditional two-mile Cup distance, provides punters at Luxbet with one of the best betting opportunities during the autumn racing season.

Early nominations for this year’s Sydney Cup were taken at the start of the month with 87 stayers entered for the Easter showdown.

At the top of the futures Sydney Cup odds at Luxbet is four-year-old Descarado paying $5 to become the 2011 Sydney Cup winner.

Last season the son of High Chaparral took out the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) before finishing a game second to So You Think in the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) on Derby Day.

Despite failing to finish the 2010 Melbourne Cup on a bog track, punters are back on the Descarado bandwagon tipping him to give Waterhouse a win come Sydney Cup Day.

Descarado resumed racing this season with a first-up sixth to Danleigh in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm on March 5.

Other Early Favourites in the 2011 Sydney Cup Odds are:

• Linton ($7.50 Luxbet) – Improving Lloyd Williams-owned Galileo four-year-old ran a brave second to Shocking in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) last start
• Once Were Wild ($7.50 Luxbet) – Waterhouse’s Johannesburg mare has staying potential having run third to Maluckyday in The Lexus Stakes last year and 11^th in the Melbourne Cup against a crack field on unsuitable ground
• Macedonian ($11 Luxbet) – Zabeel gelding prepared by Peter Moody, genuine Cup horse having won the Sandown Cup (3200m) last November and most recently finished a close third in the Group 2 Adelaide Cup (3200m)
• Cedarberg ($13 Luxbet) – Flemington-based four-year-old enjoyed a moderate spring that included a second to Linton in the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m), recently finished runner-up in the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) and then seventh in the Australian Cup last start
• Illustrious Blue ($13 Luxbet) – David Payne’s European import was not disgraced in running ninth to Americain in the 2010 Melbourne Cup for their Australian debut last spring

Punters that get in on the futures Sydney Cup betting at Luxbet now will also find generous prices on other top contenders such as the Mark Kavanagh-trained King Diamond ($17), David Hayes’ up-and-coming four-year-old Laristan ($18), The Metropolitan runner-up Mourayan ($18), last-start Adelaide Cup winner Muir ($26) and Launceston Cup champion Fast Future ($51).

To view the full list of 2011 Sydney Cup All In betting odds before the final field is released on Wednesday April 20, head to Luxbet.

Luxbet have the best range of autumn horse racing odds including competitive markets on all the Group 1 features so sign up with them today and get a FREE BET up to $400 if you quote the promo code BONUSBET when joining!

Photo courtesy (c) Taron Clarke Photography