Victorian trainer Mick Cerchi is confident heading into this afternoon’s Adelaide Cup 2015 with veteran galloper Tanby who is set to appreciate a nice drop in weights for the two mile classic.

There are 14 remaining hopefuls in this year’s $400,000 Group 1 Adelaide Cup (3200m) field following the early scratching of Gossip Girl from the line-up.

Four of the runners in the field are at single figures to win in the latest Adelaide Cup betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au that are currently led at $4.20 by the flying Darren Weir-trained Taiyoo after his sixth win on the trot.

Market mover Lucky Lucky Lucky follows on $4.80 having run second to the favourite at the track on February 28 in the Group 3 Lord Reims Stakes (2600m).

The other single figure hopes in the Adelaide Cup odds are then Sandown Cup winner Renew ($5) and the in-form Peter Moody-trained Crime Fighter ($7.50) before the markets open up.

Further down betting at a more generous $19 is Tanby, a former Team Williams-raced stayer, in barrier eight for jockey Dean Holland and Cerchi who picked him up for $140,000 from the Inglis Melbourne Select Racehorse Sale in May last year.

“We (the connections) probably had to go a bit more than what we thought but if he wins tomorrow that will look like a good move,” Cerchi told Racing Victoria speaking about the purchase of Tanby who was the only horse at the sale he was interested in.

“The thing with this horse’s owners is they’re really passionate about their racing, they love racing and they’re just happy to have a horse that’s a live chance in some good races.”

Taiyoo leads the Adelaide Cup weights on 59kg but Tanby gets in on the 53kg minimum, the lightest the now eight-year-old Galileo gelding has carried since a close second behind subsequent Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden in the 2011 Geelong Cup.

It has also been a long time between drinks for the galloper whose last victory was in the Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) at Sandown-Hillside back in November of 2012.

Also third to Super Cool in the 2013 Australian Cup, Tanby didn’t finish in the money again until a second behind Averau in the Listed Bagot Handicap (2800m) as a 25/1 shot at Flemington on New Year’s Day this year.

“(The Bagot) was a really hotly run race that day, they went really quickly and he still stuck to his task really well,” Cerchi said.

Since then he’s been racing well including a last start fifth behind today’s top pick Taiyoo in the Listed Torney Night Cup (2500m) at Moonee Valley on February 20.

Tanby was beaten only 1.35 lengths in that lead-up run when carrying 55kg and so will appreciate the drop back in weights for today’s rematch at a distance he should enjoy getting up to.

“At two miles (3200m) if he can have the right run in the race with 53kg you know he’s going to run the trip,” Cerchi said.

“He hasn’t had the best of luck in a couple of his races and he had to lead the other day from a wide barrier because we didn’t want him being trapped wide and he really ran well.”

To get behind your favourites in the Adelaide Cup, make sure you do so online at Ladbrokes.com.au who are offering a special $4.50 price on the favourite Tanby!