Pre-post favourite Tosen Stardom has suffered an early blow drawing the far outside barrier in a 14-horse Ladbrokes CF Orr Stakes 2018 field this weekend.

2018 Ladbrokes CF Orr Stakes favourite Tosen Stardom has work to do from the outside barrier (14) on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Caulfield Racecourse is host to the first elite level of the Melbourne Festival of Racing on Saturday with the Group 1 $500,000 Ladbrokes C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) due to run as Race 8 at 4:45pm (AEDT).

Three of the 14 final CF Orr Stakes acceptances come from last year’s winning trainer Darren Weir, including the $4.40 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au Tosen Stardom.

The dual Group 1 winning Japanese expat has retained top spot in Ladbrokes CF Orr Stakes betting despite the nasty barrier.

No CF Orr Stakes winner has jumped from wider than gate 12 since Elvstroem (15 of 15 in 2005) giving Tosen Stardom a hoodoo to overcome on the weekend.

Last seen saluting in the Group 1 Emirates Stakes (2000m) at Flemington in November, the Deep Impact entire is also out to be the first seven-year-old CF Orr Stakes winner since Torbek (1983).

The other Weir-trained seven-year-old looking to break the same hoodoo on Saturday is the reigning CF Orr Stakes champion Black Heart Bart.

A former WA star, the son of Blackfriars has drawn barrier three and has his regular rider Brad Rawiller continuing associations.

Black Heart Bart was last seen finishing a disappointing ninth in the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot in Perth back in early December.

A five-time Group 1 winner, he did the CF Orr Stakes – Futurity Stakes double over the 1400m at Caulfield last autumn and is after his first turf triumph since.

Black Heart Bart is a genuine weight-for-age star and a Caulfield track specialist (9:5-2-1) so presents as a winning chance again.

Weir’s third runner is another Japanese import Brave Smash, the Tosen Phantom five-year-old second-up on the weekend.

Third to Redzel in Sydney’s $10 million The Everest (1200m) last October, Brave Smash resumed on Australia Day at The Valley running fifth in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m).

Fitter for the run, Weir will be hoping Brave Smash returns to his The Everest form after failing to finish off last time out.

Along with the favourite Tosen Stardom, the other widely-drawn runners in this year’s Ladbrokes CF Orr Stakes field are the Anthony Freedman-trained Mr Sneaky (13) and the James Cummings-trained Hartnell (12).

High Chaparral four-year-old Mr Sneaky has a 50% winning strike rate at Caulfield where he ran second in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) last October before his 12^th to Tosen Stardom in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m).

He returned in the Australia Stakes, a key CF Orr Stakes form race to follow in recent years, when second to Thronum and gets the chance to go one better second-up at his pet distance here.

Hartnell meanwhile is first-up for Godolphin, Craig Williams riding the Authorized seven-year-old who has winning form at the track and distance and who is up for the first time since his failed Melbourne Cup 20^th.

Other standouts in the CF Orr Stakes field include the Lindsay Park-trained Australia Stakes winner Thronum and Chris Waller’s returning Kennedy Mile winning mare Shillelagh.

Check out the official C.F. Orr Stakes 2018 field and barriers below with updated odds now open at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2018 Ladbrokes CF Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Caulfield Race 8 (4:45pm) – 10/02/2018