Weights for the 2011 Sydney Cup, running at the Royal Randwick on Saturday April 23, have been released with Gai Waterhouse’s Caulfield Cup winner Descarado allocated the 58kg topweight.

Eighty-five horses are still heading towards a spot in the $500,000 Group 1 Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) final field, Descarado leading the list of hopefuls sitting number one on the Sydney Cup ballot.

After taking out the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 16 last year, High Chaparral gelding Descarado went on to run second to superstar So You Think in the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) before failing to finish the Melbourne Cup.

Waterhouse will give Descarado another shot over the two miles in this year’s Sydney Cup, the four-year-old having returned to form last start with a narrow second to $101 upset winner Zavite in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on March 19.

Descarado is the clear favourite in the early Sydney Cup odds at Luxbet sitting at a quote of $4.60.

The next heaviest weighted Sydney Cup nominee is Zavite, Anthony Cummings’ shock Ranvet Stakes champion allocated 57.5kg.

The Zabeel eight-year-old has had five starts over 3200m producing two wins, Zavite having won the 2010 Auckland Cup in New Zealand and the 2009 Adelaide Cup over the distance.

Zavite also featured in last year’s Sydney Cup field but ran a well-beaten 10^th carrying 58.5kg.

2010 Sydney Cup winner Jessicabeel carried 52kg to victory 12 months ago and two hopefuls have been allocated this weight for the 2010 edition with Mourayan and Showcause.

Showcause is also the highest rated New Zealand stayer heading towards the Sydney Cup showdown, the five-year-old most recently finishing second to Titch in the Group 1 Auckland Cup (3200m) on March 9.

After his blowout in the Ranvet, Zavite firmed into an $11 shot in the Sydney Cup betting markets at Luxbet.

Following Zavite in the Sydney Cup weights is the Lloyd Williams-owned Linton (55kg), Hawk Island (54.5kg) and Illustrious Blue (54.5kg).

Improving Galileo four-year-old Linton is the $7.50 second favourite to Win the Sydney Cup through Luxbet after running a game second to Shocking in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 12.

Chris Waller’s Ranvet Stakes third placegetter Hawk Island is at a generous $15 while David Payne’s European import Illustrious Blue is high up the market paying $13 through Luxbet.

The two other early favourites and their weights for this year’s Sydney Cup are:

• Once Were Wild (Gai Waterhouse)

Sydney Cup Odds: $9.00 – Bet now at Luxbet

Sydney Cup Weight: 52.5kg (The highest-weighted mare this year)

• Macedonian (Peter G Moody)

Sydney Cup Odds: $11.00 – Bet now at Luxbet

Sydney Cup Weight: 51kg

See below for the latest 2011 Sydney Cup field, order of entry and weights.

For the hottest Sydney Cup futures betting visit Luxbet today and get in on the action before prices firm!

2011 Sydney Cup Weights & Ballot

#	Horse	Trainer	Ballot	Weight (kg)	Hcp. Rating
1	DESCARADO (NZ)	Gai Waterhouse	1	58	115
2	ZAVITE (NZ)	Anthony Cummings	2	57.5	114
3	LINTON	Robert Hickmott	3	55	109
4	HAWK ISLAND (IRE)	Chris Waller	=4	54.5	108
5	ILLUSTRIOUS BLUE (GB)	David Payne	=4	54.5	108
6	C’EST LA GUERRE (NZ)	Robert Hickmott	=7	53.5	106
7	SPEED GIFTED (GB)	Lee Freedman	=7	53.5	106
8	LORNE DANCER	Gai Waterhouse	9	53	105
9	ONCE WERE WILD	Gai Waterhouse	=4	52.5	108
10	MOURAYAN (IRE)	Robert Hickmott	=10	52	103
11	SHOWCAUSE	Frank Ritchie	=10	52	102
12	ABOVE AVERAGE (IRE)	Lee Freedman	=12	51.5	100
13	LARRY’S NEVER LATE (NZ)	Jim Conlan	=12	51.5	101
14	MUIR (GB)	Robert Hickmott	=12	51.5	100
15	TINSELTOWN (NZ)	Michael Moroney	=12	51.5	101
16	FAST FUTURE (NZ)	Russell Cameron	16	51	99
17	MACEDONIAN (NZ)	Peter G Moody	17	51	98
18	CEDARBERG	Pat Carey	=18	51	97
19	KING DIAMOND	Mark Kavanagh	=18	51	97
20	OLDER THAN TIME	Gai Waterhouse	=18	51	97
21	THE PARTY STAND (NZ)	Roger James	=18	51	97
22	BID SPOTTER	Graeme Rogerson	=22	51	96
23	ESKIMO DAN (NZ)	Bevan Laming	=22	51	96
24	LARISTAN (FR)	David Hayes	=22	51	96
25	MR TIPSY (NZ)	Murray & Bjorn Baker	=22	51	96
26	SOLID BILLING	Craig Ritchie	=22	51	96
27	VIVID VIXEN (NZ)	Mick Price	=22	51	96
28	MISS KEEPSAKE (NZ)	Joseph Pride	=28	51	95
29	SAINT ENCOSTA	John P Thompson	=28	51	95
30	SHAMOLINE WARRIOR	Mark Kavanagh	=28	51	95
31	STRIKE ONE (GB)	Chris Waller	=28	51	95
32	SCOUTING WIDE (NZ)	Tim Martin	32	51	94
33	BEIJING BOY (NZ)	Chris Waller	=33	51	93
34	LOOSE CHANGE (NZ)	David Haworth	=33	51	93
35	VESPER	Robert Hickmott	=33	51	93
36	ALEXANDER OF HALES (USA)	Chris Waller	=36	51	92
37	SADDLER’S STORY	Robert Smerdon	=36	51	92
38	COUNT ENCOSTA	John P Thompson	=38	51	91
39	MR CHARLIE (NZ)	Peter G Moody	=38	51	91
40	FAZZA (NZ)	Jeff Lynds	=40	51	89
41	MISS DARCEY	Anthony Cummings	=40	51	89
42	MONTAHLIA (NZ)	Michael Kent	=40	51	89
43	ROI D’JEU (NZ)	Shaune Ritchie	=40	51	89
44	SCOTTISH BORDER	Garry Frazer	=40	51	89
45	IRONSTEIN	Gerald Ryan	45	51	88
46	PERGOLA (NZ)	Colin & Cindy Alderson	=46	51	87
47	ZARA DANCER (NZ)	Bruce Wallace	=46	51	87
48	ZAUBERIN	Russell Cameron	=46	51	87
49	DOOSRA DIAMOND	Bob Challis	=49	51	86
50	RUBINACCI	Tony Vasil	=49	51	86
51	DAVCON	Heath Conners	51	51	85
52	AJHAR (USA)	Lee Freedman	=52	51	84
53	BERLIOZ (NZ)	David Hayes	=52	51	84
54	PLATINUM PASSION	Michael Moroney	=52	51	84
55	STAND TO GAIN (IRE)	Chris Waller	=52	51	84
56	HE’S UNDER THE GUN (NZ)	Michael Moroney	56	51	83
57	KING LIONHEART	Gai Waterhouse	57	51	80
58	GALLANT LADY	Lee Freedman	=58	51	79
59	OUR CANNAVARO (NZ)	Chris Waller	=58	51	79
60	OUR SERENA	Pat Carey	=58	51	79
61	SHADOW MINISTER	Garry White	=58	51	79
62	ABSOLUTELYAWESOME (NZ)	Michael Moroney	62	51	78
63	MARTIAL LAW (IRE)	Robert Hickmott	=63	51	76
64	SANDBERG	Guy Walter	=63	51	76
65	I’M JAKE (NZ)	David Brideoake	65	51	75
66	MOUNT EVEREST	Lee Freedman	66	51	74
67	ANUDJAWUN (NZ)	Shaun Dwyer	=67	51	73
68	MR PONZI (NZ)	Joseph Pride	=67	51	73
69	WELL HANDLED	David Payne	=67	51	73
70	GALIZANI	John P Thompson	=70	51	72
71	GUDERIAN	Paul Perry	=70	51	72
72	TRIUMPHANT CHOICE	Peter G Moody	=70	51	72
73	HARMONY (NZ)	Peter G Moody	=73	51	71
74	POWER TO SURPRISE (NZ)	Joseph Pride	=73	51	71
75	MARKAB	Bart Cummings	75	51	69
76	HALFWAYTOLONDON	Ken Callaughan	=76	51	67
77	THE PATRIOT	Luke Price	=76	51	67
78	MR CONSOLIDATOR	Leon Corstens	78	51	66
79	POPNAE	Guy Walter	79	51	64
80	NAZABEEL (NZ)	Shaun Dwyer	80	51	63
81	MUKARRAR	David Hayes	81	51	62
82	CYBER CRIME	Guy Walter	82	51	60
83	SHOW DANCER (NZ)	Bart Cummings	83	51	56
84	DOSTANA (NZ)	Bob Thomsen	=84	51	55
85	SPACE STATION	Bede Murray	=84	51	55