Chris Waller’s Caloundra Cup 2015 top weight Index Linked has opened clear favourite to take out the feature race on the Sunshine Coast race card in Queensland this weekend.

Index Linked (outside) is the favourite to win Saturday’s 2015 Caloundra Cup. Photo: Sarah Ebbett.

While the day’s Group 3 is the Sunshine Coast Guineas, the punters will be turning out to see Race 6 at 3:22pm (AEST) with a dozen quality stayers lining up in this year’s $175,000 Listed Linked Group Plumbing Caloundra Cup (2400m).

Sitting top of the field and weights with 59kg is Waller’s imported Dansili seven-year-old Index Linked due to jump from a nice barrier four draw with ace Sunshine State hoop Damian Browne booked for the ride on the 103-rated galloper.

A winner of 10 of his 30 starts to date, Index Inked was last seen running second to Epingle in the Group 3 Chairman’s Handicap (2200m) at the Gold Coast on Anzac Day last month.

He’s had just one run over the mile and a half previously and has only won up to 2000m but that, and his big weight, hasn’t stopped the bookmakers at Ladbrokes.com.au installing Index Linked at the top of the Caloundra Cup odds at $3.60.

After the clear favourite it is a wide open Caloundra Cup betting market for this weekend with five other single figure hopes in the 12-starter field.

The next best are all on $6 with Tremec, market mover Sir John Hawkwood and Volkhere all battling for their spot in the markets.

John Thompson’s Zabeel six-year-old Tremec is bred to stay and has winning form up to 2600m having taken out the Group 2 Chairman’s over that distance in the wet at Randwick on April 6.

His latest start was in the Gold Coast’s Chairman’s when dropped back in distance to run second last, sixth, with the bookies tipping improvement on a firmer track over more ground this weekend.

Sir John Hawkwood originally opened at $7.50 but the money has come hard and fast for Peter Moody’s visitor, the Sir Percy six-year-old runner-up to Tremec two back before his Gold Coast Chairman’s Handicap seventh last time out.

Volkhere meanwhile is being talked up for the win by his top Brisbane trainer Robert Heathcote who gained plenty of confidence with the in-form Dehere gelding’s latest run, a second behind subsequent Group 1 Doomben Cup winner Pornichet in the Toowoomba Cup (2150m) a fortnight ago.

Rounding out the single figure Caloundra Cup hopes this winter are then Escado ($8) and Perplexity ($9) drawn in barriers seven and six respectively.

Weighted on 56kg, the Matt Laurie-trained Casino Prince five-year-old Escado has won up to 2500m but has finished 12^th in his two most recent runs.

The first was in the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast and then in last Saturday’s Doomben Cup, the step up in metres but down in class for this weekend tipped to suit for the horse’s 33^rd career start.

As for Perplexity, Jeff Lloyd has the ride on the Chris Munce-trained Lonhro gelding who won over 2200m at Doomben two back before a last start fourth in the Chairman’s on the Gold Coast.

Representing even more value for punters that look for a double figure hope to back are then veteran eight-year-old Freton ($15) out to improve on a Toowoomba Cup sixth when returning to his home track for a 24^th start at the Sunshine Coast with Luke Tarrant riding and Ben Currie’s 34-start veteran Supercoach ($16) who ran fifth in the Toowoomba lead-up.

Check out the full Caloundra Cup 2015 betting odds below then get along to [ladborkes] to back your selections at the guaranteed best prices on the weekend!

2015 Caloundra Cup Betting