The well-fancied Australian Cup-bound duo of Hartnell and Gailo Chop head the Peter Young Stakes 2018 field and betting markets for the traditional lead-up race running at Caulfield Racecourse this weekend in Melbourne.

Australian Cup favourite Gailo Chop races second-up in the 2018 Peter Young Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The card closer on Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes Day this Saturday, the Group 2 $200,000 Carlton Draught Peter Young Stakes (1800m) is set to jump as Caulfield Race 9 at 5:25pm (AEDT).

A key lead-up to the Group 1 $1.5 million Australian Cup (2000m) run at Flemington on Super Saturday, March 10, the Peter Young Stakes field attracted only 10 hopefuls this autumn.

Sitting top of the starting line-up and the early Peter Young Stakes odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au are the James Cummings-trained Hartnell and Darren Weir’s smart French import Gailo Chop.

Drawn in gate five with Craig Williams retaining the ride is the narrow $3.50 favourite for Saturday and $6.50 second elect in futures Australian Cup betting, Authorized seven-year-old Hartnell.

Hartnell was impressive first-up at the track a fortnight back kicking things off with a narrow win in the Group 1 Ladbrokes C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) and he should be even better suited to 1800m second-up this weekend.

His last run over the track / distance produced a second to Bonneval in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) last October, a race Gailo Chop finished third in.

Gailo Chop also won his first-up autumn assignment at Caulfield on February 10, the fellow seven-year-old having taken out the Group 3 TS Carlyon Cup (1600m) over the mile.

He chases his first victory since the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) in the spring when beating home subsequent Melbourne Cup runner-up Johannes Vermeer.

Fitter for his lead-up win, Gailo Chop boasts a strong record of four wins from seven second-up assignments and is hot on Hartnell’s heels in the Peter Young Stakes odds at $3.60.

He is shorter in pre-field Australian Cup odds however installed as the $4.50 favourite, a position he can retain with a big run this weekend.

The $7 third favourite for next month’s Group 1 is the Lloyd Williams-owned The Taj Mahal who is also accepted for the Peter Young Stakes where Ben Melham rides the import from the outside barrier (10 of 10).

A well-performed Galileo entire, four-year-old The Taj Mahal races for the first time since the impressive three and a half-length romp home over 2016 Melbourne Cup winner Almandin in the Group 2 Sandown Classic (2400m) last November.

He is the early Peter Young Stakes market mover already firming in from $5 to $4.80 to salute fresh over 1800m.

Rounding out the single-figure fancies is the constantly impressive Nick Olive-trained Group 1 winning mare Single Gaze ($8.50).

She had zero luck when caught-up for a run in the CF Orr Stakes, but last spring’s Caulfield Cup second placed daughter of Not A Single Doubt came with a huge late run to come within a nostril flare of Hartnell.

See below for the full Peter Young Stakes 2018 field, barriers and betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au before backing your favourites for this weekend.

2018 Peter Young Stakes Field & Odds