After hoping for four or six, jockey Dwayne Dunn has been forced to settle for gate nine for race favourite Royal Symphony in the 2017 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas barrier draw.

2017 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas favourite Royal Symphony drew barrier nine in the 16-starter field coming into eight if the emergency fails to run. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Dunn partners the Tony McEvoy-trained Domesday colt in Saturday’s capacity Group 1 $2 million Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m) field, Royal Symphony bred and part-owned by Dunn’s wife.

There was a slight controversy ahead of the mile classic however when at Tuesday morning’s barrier draw, Dunn originally believed his mount had come up trumps with barrier six.

As it turned out, there was a line under the number and Royal Symphony officially drew nine, while the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Stan Fox Stakes winner Gold Standard is allocated barrier six.

Both could come in one position on Saturday however with this year’s Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas emergency Mighty Boss drawing barrier five.

Dunn rode last year’s Caulfield Guineas winner Divine Prophet to victory from the inside alley and was also aboard All Too Hard (barrier three of eight) for success in the 2012 edition of the race.

Barrier nine hasn’t produced a Caulfield Guineas winner in over 30 years, but four champions (since 1986) have saluted from gate eight including Helmet (8 of 8 in 2011) and Shooting To Win (8 of 13 in 2014).

Royal Symphony has eased out slightly in Caulfield Guineas betting at race sponsor Ladbrokes.com.au to $4 and is followed in the updated odds by the Godolphin-raced Kementari ($5).

One of two James Cummings-trained hopefuls in the race, Lonhro colt Kementari comes off a third in the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) from October 1 where he finished one ahead of Royal Symphony.

Kementari is out in barrier 10 for the weekend’s rematch, while stablemate Sanctioned suffered a blow drawing the second outside alley coming into 15 of 16.

Since 2008 just one Caulfield Guineas winner, Press Statement (14 of 16 in 2015), has jumped from wider than barrier eight.

The other best in Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas betting this year is the Lindsay Park-trained filly Catchy ($5.50) who is drawn a treat in barrier three.

One of Dunn’s past winners All Too Hard (2012) was the last to salute from gate three, while Catchy is the first filly to line-up in a Caulfield Guineas field since 2007 looking to become just the sixth to salute over the boys and the first since Surround (1976).

Caulfield Guineas Prelude winner Perast ($9) is also under double-figures to salute again and do the double for the first time since Helmet (2011) after drawing gate two.

The inside alley, which produced Divine Prophet last spring and a further seven Caulfield Guineas champions (since 1983), belongs on Saturday to Showtime.

The Team Hawkes-trained Snitzel colt was last seen saluting over the mile under the lights at The Valley on September 29 in the Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) and now chases the double achieved by Whobegotyou (2008).

At the opposite end of the field in the widest alley is the Kiwi-trained Group 1 winner Summer Passage.

Check out the full Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas 2017 Field & Barriers below before heading to race sponsor Ladbrokes.com.au for the latest odds on the classic.

2017 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas Barrier Draw

Caulfield Racecourse – 14/10/2017