Second favourite for next month’s Golden Slipper Stakes, the Chris Waller-trained Performer is the odds-on favourite in 2018 Canonbury Stakes betting for his autumn kick-off this weekend.

Golden Slipper-bound Performer is odds-on favourite in 2018 Canonbury Stakes betting at Rosehill Gardens this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.

Only five two-year-old colts and geldings are engaged for this year’s Group 3 $150,000 Canonbury Stakes (1100m), the race due to run early on the Expressway Stakes Day card at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Red hot favourite for the race sitting at a short quote of $1.60 in the latest Canonbury Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au is highly-spruiked Exceed And Excel colt Performer.

Winner of the Listed Breeders Plate (1000m) at Randwick last September in his only previous career run, Performer showed he was ready to succeed again saluting in back-to-back Rosehill trials in January.

On Saturday he jumps from barrier three with Kerrin McEvoy aboard.

Performer is currently trailing only the Magic Millions Classic winner Sunlight in futures betting on the Group 1 $3.5 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m), the world’s richest race for two-year-olds taking place at Rosehill on March 24.

A win for the punters this weekend could see the $8 Golden Slipper odds on Performer firm.

Three of his four rivals in the diminutive Canonbury Stakes field are also under $10 for the win including the unraced Exceltic ($4.40), one of two hopefuls in the mix for last year’s Golden Slipper winning trainer Gary Portelli.

Drawn in gate two with dual Melbourne Cup winning jockey Corey Brown to ride, Exceltic heads to the races for the first time following three official trials.

The latest hit-out from the son of Excelebration, who pays $21 in futures Golden Slipper betting pre-debut, produced a one and a quarter-length win over 797m at his home Warwick farm track on January 15.

Drawn the rails and also on debut is then the $5.50 favourite and early Canonbury Stakes market mover Stratopshere prepared by Peter & Paul Snowden.

Co-trainer Peter Snowden has prepared two previous Golden Slipper Stakes winners and Snitzel colt Stratopshere is a $51 shot to salute ahead of his first run.

In his latest trial, the youngster finished fifth to Gimcrack Stakes winning filly Satin Slipper over 1050m at Randwick on Monday and he looks fit and ready to fire in the Canonbury.

Baker’s other runner Dio D’Oro meanwhile rounds out he hopes under $10 for the win paying $9 to improve on his second behind Estijaab on debut over 1000m at Randwick from January 20.

The roughie of the race at $17 for the upset is then Catanzaro, a So You Think colt whose two starts in the spring produced unplaced efforts at Randwick (1000m) and Rosehill (1100m).

See below for the latest Canonbury Stakes 2018 odds, betting on all the weekend races as well as futures Golden Slipper betting open now at Ladbrokes.com.au.