Early money is coming for last start Australia Stakes winner Malaguerra to beat home Black Heart Bart again in the Ladbrokes CF Orr Stakes 2017 this Saturday in Melbourne.

First-up the returning Darley Classic winner flew home in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley to defeat the Darren Weir-trained three-time Group 1 winner Black Heart Bart by two lengths.

The two gun gallopers will meet again on the weekend when elite level racing returns at Caulfield Racecourse with the $500,000 Group 1 Ladbrokes C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m).

Black Heart Bart remains favourite in CF Orr Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au with the Blackfriars six-year-old firming in from $4 to $3.90.

Brad Rawiller is back in the saddle of the widely-drawn Black Heart Bart out in barrier 11 of 12, with the last CF Orr Stakes winner to jump from double-digits being Typhoon Tracy (11 of 16) for her second success in 2011.

The outside barrier 12, which last produced a winner with Shinzig (2008), belongs to the early CF Orr Stakes market mover Malaguerra who has firmed in from $4.50 to $4 to hold Black Heart Bart at bay once again.

Stepping out over the extra metres up to 1400m looks to give Black Heart Bart the advantage as the $2.8 million earner boasts six wins and four seconds from 11 starts at the distance.

Malaguerra meanwhile has had six runs over the distance for two wins, with his last at 1400m producing the disappointing ninth to Under The Louvre at Eagle Farm back in June’s Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap.

His Moe-based trainer Peter Gelagotis though believes the Magnus five-year-old is ready for the step up in metres, proven by the easy Australia Stakes victory on January 27.

Favourites have a gun recent record in the CF Orr Stakes results with six straight saluting for the punters up until the upset win by Suavito ($15) last year.

There are two other single-figure hopes in the latest CF Orr Stakes odds with Lucky Hussler ($6.50 out to $7) and Divine Prophet ($6 out to $8) both easing in the markets.

Stablemate of the favourite, Husson seven-year-old Lucky Hussler has strong Caulfield form (5-2-2-0) and returns to the track for the first time since his second in the CF Orr Stakes quinella last Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival.

His latest run was at the Gold Coast on January 14 when only 1.2 lengths beaten for seventh in the Magic Millions Cup (1400m), a race he won the summer before.

Lucky Hussler’s Caulfield form also includes the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) victory over a mile in October of 2015.

Divine Prophet meanwhile is out to become just the second three-year-old CF Orr Stakes winner since 2003, the other being All Too Hard (2013) who was also prepared by Team Hawkes.

This year the Hawkes stable run Choisir colt Divine Prophet first-up in the race on the back of two Sydney trials with the youngster last seen winning the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in October of 2016.

See below for the full Ladbrokes CF Orr Stakes 2017 betting markets, prices provided by Ladbrokes.com.au – the home of Odds Boost (T&Cs apply).

2017 Ladbrokes CF Orr Stakes Odds