Saturday’s top-weighted stayer in the Caloundra Cup 2017 field Benzini has drawn out wide in barrier 11 of 12 for the Sunshine Coast winter feature.

Kiwi stayer Benzini has the top weight and a wide gate to overcome in Saturday’s 2017 Caloundra Cup field at the Sunshine Coast. Photo: Daniel Costello.

Running as Race 6 at 3:17pm (AEST), this season’s $175,000 Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) features a small field of just a dozen runners.

Allocated the hefty 59.5kg top weight is the Adrian & Harry Bull-trained Kiwi raider Benzini who also has a wide alley to overcome if he is to return to winning form this weekend.

Jockey Kelly McCulloch jumps aboard the 48 start veteran son of Tale Of The Cat who was last seen running a distant second in the Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m) on June 17.

The seven-year-old will relish the step back up to a mile and a half on Saturday having won last year’s Group 2 Brisbane Cup (2400m) over that distance.

This year the Brisbane Cup ran over 2200m at Doomben and Benzini ran fourth when unsuccessfully defending his title.

With more metres in the Caloundra Cup, the gun galloper remains a winning hope even with the weight, which is a half-kilo less than his Ipswich Cup kilos (60kg).

The runaway Ipswich Cup winner Self Sense is of course the big danger again in the Caloundra Cup field this Queensland Winter Racing Carnival.

David Brideoake’s Street Sense six-year-old had nearly seven lengths to spare on the line over Benzini in the Ipswich Cup, which was a huge improvement on the galloper’s second last (13^th) in the Brisbane Cup results one run earlier.

Saturday sees Self Sense run at the Sunshine Coast for the first time in another test and jockey Michael Cahill retains the ride with the horse going up two kilos from his Ipswich Cup winning weight to 56kg.

The other last start winner in the mix this year is the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Supply And Demand who chases a third win on the trot.

Joshua Parr rides the progressive Sebring four-year-old from barrier nine on 55.5kg this weekend, Supply And Demand having carried light weights (51kg and 52.5kg) to victory in his recent Sydney wins.

The gelding relished a Heavy (8) track at Rosehill on July 17 saluting over 2000m and needs to improve again with more weight this weekend in his first run over the 2400m.

The outside Caloundra Cup barrier meanwhile belongs to the Darren Weir-trained mare Neverland who gets in on the 54kg minimum.

A dual Group 2 Perth Cup runner-up over the distance, the five-year-old daughter of Big Brown is out to improve on her last start sixth in the Brisbane Cup.

Another smart mare that could surprise on a short seven day back-up is the Beaudesert-trained War Baby.

Kelvin Hickmott’s Warhead five-year-old was gutsy at Ipswich two back winning over 2150m by a commanding six and a half lengths.

She franked that form stepping up in class at Doomben last Saturday when just over a half-length beaten to finish third to Rudy in the Group 2 Tattersall’s Cup (2200m).

War Baby has had three previous Sunshine Coast runs for a win and two thirds and with Larry Cassidy aboard on 54kg again this weekend, she is a place hope to finish in the money again.

See below for the full Caloundra Cup 2017 field, barriers, jockeys and weights with Sunshine Coast racing odds to open shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2017 Caloundra Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw

Sunshine Coast Race 6 (3:17pm) – 01/07/2017