While some of the better-fancied Sydney Cup 2013-bound stayers will have their lead-up run in Rosehill’s The BMW this weekend, Cranbourne trainer Michael Kent will run his hopeful Vittoria in a low key Moonee Valley handicap.

Julienas is the current 2013 Sydney Cup betting favourite. Photo: Steve Hart.

Among the gallopers heading towards the $500,000 Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Royal Randwick on April 27 that run in this Saturday’s $2.25 million Group 1 The BMW (2400m) are 2010 Melbourne Cup runner-up Maluckyday, recent Auckland Cup champ Sangster and Chris Waller’s Lexus Stakes winner Kelinni who pay $7.50, $10 and $11 in the bookmaker.com.au markets for the end of month showdown.

Much further down the futures Sydney Cup odds as a $126 roughie is then Kent’s Postponed mare Vittoria who will look to shorten that price with her third win on the trot this weekend.

The four-year-old resumed off an eighth month break, before which she ran third to Quintessential in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) in the mud before her failed Queensland Derby effort when 16^th of 18, to win at Pakenham in February.

“We spelled her again and she’s just matured,” Kent explained.

From there she went to Moonee Valley on March 15 and enjoyed another win, this time over the 2040m, which she will look to add to on Saturday when she steps up in distance for the $100,000 Friends Of Epworth Handicap (2500m).

Her performance in that race will go a long way in determining whether Kent presses ahead with a Sydney Cup bid for her or decides to keep Vittoria to easier assignments this time in.

“She gets in nicely with the claim on Saturday and I’d love some give in the ground,” Kent said.

“She holds a Sydney Cup nomination and I’ll just see how she goes on Saturday to see where she goes. I’m happy with the way she’s worked.

“We sort of fancy her on a bit of soft ground but we haven’t been able to find it yet.”

Kent is also looking at a weekend run for his other Sydney Cup nominated mare Hula Lua, the daughter of Spartacus also coming off consecutive wins having won back-to-back races over 2040m at Moonee Valley in February.

Yet to race against black type company the lightly-raced four-year-old is dually accepted across two states this weekend including the Group 3 Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) in Sydney with the weather to decide where she goes.

“It will be weather dependent,” Kent said.

Hula Lua is a better fancied outsider in Sydney Cup betting than her stablemate currently paying $61 in markets led by Gai Waterhouse’s last-start NE Manion Cup winner Julienas ($5).

Check out all the weekend racing odds as well as the juicy futures markets on the Sydney Cup 2013 online now at bookmaker.com.au – the 100 percent Aussie owned and operated sportsbook more punters trust to deliver.