This weekend the first of the three Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival majors will light up Caulfield Racecourse with a stellar field of stayers facing off in the 2013 Caulfield Cup, the Races.com.au team’s insider form guide analysis and betting preview for which is detailed below.

Race favourite Hawkspur is out to continue the good recent record of 4YO's in the Caulfield Cup. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.

A full field of 18 starters, plus three remaining emergencies lying in wait, is engaged for the last on the program on Saturday with the $2.5 million Group 1 BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) set to run as Caulfield Race 10 at 5:45pm (AEST).

Chris Waller’s Queensland Derby winner from the winter Hawkspur remains at the top of the Caulfield Cup betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $4.80 fixed win, or a juicy $9.60 in their exclusive Double The Odds markets.

He is followed then by ATC Oaks winning stablemate Royal Descent ($13 DTO), Kiwi mare Silent Achiever ($16 DTO) with Glen Boss to ride and the David Hayes-trained import Jet Away ($19 DTO) at the top of the odds.

This is what the bookies are saying, but what about the race history and form guide?

Having gone over the full Caulfield Cup 2013 field, form guide, betting history and statistical information below are the must know facts on the mile and a half classic to have you backing a winner on the weekend!

2013 Caulfield Cup Form Facts & Betting Stats

• Last year’s Caulfield Cup winner was the Mikel Delzangles-trained French raider Dunaden who won the race first-up from barrier 18 (of 18) carrying 58kg with Craig Williams in the saddle
• This year the two European-trained horses out to go back-to-back for the internationals are #2 Dandino ($20 DTO) and the first emergency #19 Forgotten Voice ($68 DTO)
• Craig Williams shoots for his second Caulfield Cup on the trot with #2 Dandino for trainer Marco Botti
• The two European raiders are also the only two in the field coming off last start wins; no horse is first-up in the Caulfield Cup this year
• The 58kg top-weight this year meanwhile belongs to #1 Manighar ($122 DTO)
• Duanden (58kg, 2012) was one of only four winners to carry more than 54.5kg to victory in the past 20 years along with Sky Heights (56.5kg, 1999), Northerly (58kg, 2002) and Viewed (57kg, 2009)
• The outside barrier will belong this year to #18 Dear Demi ($42 DTO) who gets in on just 53kg

• The inside barrier (one) has not produced a Caulfield Cup winner in the past 30 years and #9 Kelinni ($102 DTO) will be out to break the hoodoo in 2013
• The other barriers not to have produced a winner in that time are then 8, 12 and 14
• Gates 2 – 5 have produced 10 of the past Caulfield Cup winners and the lucky horses drawn in these barriers this year are #17 Tuscan Fire (2), #16 Royal Descent (3), #11 My Quest For Peace (4) and #15 Silent Achiever (5)
• The most successful Caulfield Cup barrier since 1983 meanwhile has been barrier nine with five winners which was drawn by the emergency #21 Ibicenco, they’ve been scratched however and if the other emergencies also come out it will be #1 Manighar (currently drawn in 11) coming into the prized barrier
• Over the 2400m horses with the best record include #17 Tuscan Fire (3-3-0-0), #1 Manighar (11-5-2-1), #2 Dandino (16-4-7-0), #11 My Quest For Peace (7-3-1-0), #13 Julienas (4-2-2-0), #5 Glencadam Gold (4-2-0-0), #3 Ethiopia (1-1-0-0), #12 Hawkspur (1-1-0-0) and #16 Royal Descent (1-1-0-0)
• The only horses with a previous win at the Caulfield track are #1 Manighar (6-1-0-1), #8 Jet Away (1-1-0-0) and #14 Mr O’Ceirin (6-1-2-0)
• In the past 10 years three Caulfield Cup betting favourites have saluted; this year’s favourite is #12 Hawkspur ($9.60 DTO)
• Hawkspur will be ridden by Jim Cassidy who vies for his 100^th Group 1 win in the race and his third Caulfield Cup victory from 18 rides
• Hawkspur’s trainer Chris Waller has had three Caulfield Cup starters over the years by no winners
• Favourites however have a poor place record with seven of the past 10 failing to run top three
• There’s been 13 double-figure Caulfield Cup winners since 1983, including four of the past five winners
• Since 2009 there’s been three Caulfield Cup winners to come via an unplaced run in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington a fortnight before with Viewed (2009), Descarado (2010) and Southern Speed (2011); this year Caulfield Cup hopes coming via the Turnbull are #7 Fawkner (3rd), #12 Hawkspur (5th), #15 Silent Achiever (6th), #8 Jet Away (7th), #18 Dear Demi (8th), #14 Mr O’Ceirin (10th), #16 Royal Descent (11th), #17 Tuscan Fire (13th), #5 Glencadam Gold (14th) and #1 Manighar (15th)
• Four-year-olds have the best recent record in the Caulfield Cup with 12 wins since 1991, Southern Speed (2011) the most recent; 4YO’s in this year’s race are #12 Hawkspur, #16 Royal Descent and #18 Dear Demi

Stay tuned to Races.com.au for our insider Caulfield Cup betting tips to be published shortly.

In the meantime head over to Ladbrokes.com.au and open an account with the only Australian bookmaker offering double the fixed win odds on the Caulfield Cup field 2013!

2013 Caulfield Cup Field & Form Guide

Caulfield Race 10 – 5:45pm (AEST) – 19/10/2013

*Form Guide Credit Ladbrokes.com.au

*All odds quoted are fixed win from Ladbrokes.com.au, available DTO and subject to change