Aaron Purcell’s Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Merchant Navy is favourite to salute first-up at Caulfield on the weekend leading the 2018 Rubiton Stakes odds on CF Orr Stakes Day.

Set to run as Race 6 at 3:25pm (AEDT) on Saturday afternoon, this season’s Group 2 $200,000 Schweppes Rubiton Stakes (1100m) features a small field of just the eight sprinters.

Sitting top of the Rubiton Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au on the lead-up race to the Group 1 $500,000 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) back at the track on Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes Day is three-year-old Merchant Navy.

The Fastnet Rock colt pays $3.40 to beat the older sprinters fresh in his first run since saluting narrowly down the Flemington straight on VRC Derby Day in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m).

He has had one previous Caulfield run for a Group 3 win and is undefeated first-up (2:2-0-0).

While he remains undefeated in five Melbourne runs, the only issue Merchant Navy could face when looking to salute for the punters on Saturday is the 1100m distance that he might find just short of his preferred.

Occupying the second line of Rubiton Stakes betting this Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival at $4.80 is one of the two other three-year-olds in the line-up, the unbeaten Ardrossan.

Jumping from the outside barrier, Mick Price’s Redoute’s Choice colt won both his career starts last year across the Tasman in New Zealand and Saturday marks his Australian race debut.

Formerly prepared in NZ by Stephen Marsh, the untapped Ardrossan races for the first time since a nearly four length black-type win at Te Rapa over this distance last May.

Early Rubiton Stakes market mover backed in from $7 to $5.50 is the reigning champion Super Cash, Andrew Noblet’s Written Tycoon mare looking to defend her title.

The five-year-old is a first-up specialist boasting four wins and a third from five resuming runs and has freshness on her side here.

She hasn’t raced since the eighth to Redzel in the Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m) during the Melbourne Cup Carnival, but in her last Caulfield assignment she won the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m).

That gave Super Cash a flawless three-from-three record over the Rubiton Stakes track and distance and there is plenty to suggest she can handle this Group 2 field at a good price.

It is a wide open edition of the Rubiton Stakes this year with all but one of the horses under double-figures for the win.

The other best in betting include the Darren Weir-trained Group 1 runner-up Hellbent ($7.50) who is another good first-up performer resuming here, Denman three-year-old Prezado ($8) last seen finishing second to the highly-spruiked Nature Strip in the Inglis Dash and cult galloper Rich Charm ($8.50) who is three-from-four at the track.

See below for the full Rubiton Stakes 2018 field, barriers and latest odds courtesy of our preferred online sportsbook Ladbrokes.com.au.

2018 Rubiton Stakes Field & Odds