The Sydney Cup 2018 is the two mile feature of the autumn taking place at Randwick on Day 2 of ‘The Championships’ this Saturday, our insider tips and updated odds on the $2 million showdown found below.

Evergreen stayer and proven two-miler Who Shot Thebarman shapes up as a place chance in the Sydney Cup 2018 field again. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

It’s a capacity line-up for this year’s Group 1 $2 million Sydney Cup (3200m), the field and weights led by the Lloyd Williams-raced favourite Almandin.

Damien Oliver’s mount sits top of the Sydney Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $4.20 to enjoy a second two mile victory after that in the 2016 Melbourne Cup.

Almandin may be a rising nine-year-old, but the import is racing in as good a form as ever and comes off a lead-up win in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m).

The challengers looking at the Sydney Cup betting markets are the fellow Williams-owned Aloft ($7) and last Saturday’s Chairman’s Handicap winner Sir Charles Road ($7) who gets in on just 50kg chasing the double last completed by The Offer (2014).

Earlier we published a comprehensive Sydney Cup 2018 Form Guide & Betting Preview, our exclusive tips based on the facts and status uncovered there.

1^st

#4 Ventura Storm ($11)

The double-figure offering on this Lindsay Park-trained import looks attractive as he stacks-up statistically as a great Sydney Cup bet. The Zoffany gelding is yet to win down under and is out to break a losing streak going back to a Group 1 mile and a half win in Europe in October of 2016. His only other 3200m run was the disappointing 21^st in the Melbourne Cup last year, but things went amiss and he’s well on track to atone here and finally break through. Last weekend he carried 59kg to a very close second in the Chairman’s Handicap, which has produced seven of the past 10 Sydney Cup champs. Gets the run of the race from barrier eight, which has produced more Sydney Cup winners in the last 30 years than any other gate. Five-year-olds also have the best record and he carries 53.5kg, which is the average Sydney Cup winning weight from the past decade.

2^nd

#2 Who Shot Thebarman ($16)

Chris Waller’s nine-year-old just doesn’t known how to lie down. This is the veteran’s fifth Sydney Cup shot and he’s the genuine two miler in this field (8:1-2-1) with Melbourne and Sydney Cup placings on the record. Punters need to go right back to the 2014 Auckland Cup (3200m) for his last win, but always looks competitively weighted (55kg) and is a place chance again this weekend at nice odds.

3^rd

#1 Almandin ($4.20)

Race favourite giving the weight away, but deservingly so. Good recent record (50% strike rate in the past 10 years) for the punters’ pick in the race, so that bodes well for the last start Tancred Stakes winner who is one of just three with previous two mile winning form. Good Win Rate (35%) and is in excellent form.

Whether you are backing or sacking our Sydney Cup 2018 tips get the best autumn racing odds this weekend through Ladbrokes.com.au.