Flemington’s Super Saturday is headlined by a double-shot of Group 1 racing this weekend including the 2018 Australian Cup, a full form guide analysis and betting preview on the weight-for-age feature found below.

Single Gaze is out to be the first mare since Makybe Diva (2005) to win the Australian Cup 2018 on Super Saturday at Flemington. Photo: Steve Hart.

A dozen horses face off in this year’s Group 1 $1.5 million Australian Cup (2000m), which is set to jump at 4:35pm (AEDT) as Flemington Race 8.

Since 2004 just two favourites in Australian Cup betting have saluted for the punters and this Melbourne Festival of Racing the money at Ladbrokes.com.au is on Gailo Chop ($3.30) to be the next.

The easing top fancy is drawn in barrier 10 for Darren Weir, Victoria’s premier horseman taking out the race 12 months ago with co-favourite Humidor (2017) who came off a lead-up second in the Peter Young Stakes.

This year Gailo Chop comes off a lead-up win in the same Group 2 race and is after a hat-trick for this campaign stepping up to his pet distance (11:6-0-0) in the Australian Cup field.

In the past eight years just one Australian Cup winner jumped at double-figures and along with Gailo Chop there are four other hopes under $10 for the win this year including the market mover Almandin ($6.50 into $5) and the fellow Lloyd Williams-owned stayer The Taj Mahal ($7).

With plenty of runners boasting genuine claims at the title, below we go over the full Australian Cup 2018 form guide, betting history and race statistics to uncover any value in the markets to back at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2018 Australian Cup Form Facts & Betting Stats

• Last year’s Australian Cup winner was the Darren Weir-trained Humidor (2017) who came off a lead-up second in the Peter Young Stakes, jumped from barrier 7 (of 11) as the equal favourite in betting with Damian Lane aboard for the win
• Trainer Darren Weir returns chasing successive Australian Cup wins this weekend with #4 Gailo Chop
• #4 Gailo Chop ($3.30) is out to be just the third favourite since Lonhro (2004) to win the Australian Cup and the first since stablemate Humidor (2017) last autumn
• Despite the poor recent record of Australian Cup favourites just one champion in the past eight years has won at double-figures
• Along with #4 Gailo Chop the other single-figure hopes in the Australian Cup odds this year are: #2 Almandin ($5), #9 The Taj Mahal ($7), #11 Single Gaze ($8) and #1 Hartnell ($8.50)
• The Peter Young Stakes has produced three of the past four Australian Cup winners and has proved the key form race of the past 20 years
• #4 Gailo Chop is out to do the Peter Young Stakes – Australian Cup double for the first time since Fiorente (2014)
• The other Peter Young Stakes graduates in the Australian Cup field this year are: Single Gaze (2^nd), Hartnell (3^rd), Ventura Storm (4^th), Harlem (8^th) and Lord Fandango (9^th)
• The other previous Australian Cup winning trainers with a runner on Saturday are: triple winner David Hayes with #5 Ventura Storm ($34) and #7 Harlem ($31), and Gai Waterhouse with #6 Supply And Demand ($34)

• Damian Lane chases back-to-back Australian Cup wins by a jockey for the first time since Craig Newitt (2006-07) aboard #3 Ambitious ($19)
• The other previous Australian Cup winning jockeys with a ride on the weekend are: Craig Williams on #1 Hartnell, Damien Oliver on #2 Almandin and Michael Walker on #7 Harlem
• Last year’s winning barrier (7) has produced five Australian Cup winners (since 1983) and is drawn this weekend by #9 The Taj Mahal
• The other most successful Australian Cup barrier in that time also producing 5 winners is gate eight drawn this year by #12 Devise ($20)
• Makybe Diva (2005) was the last mare to win the Australian Cup and this year #11 Single Gaze and #12 Devise are out to break the drought

• No Australian Cup winner has finished worse than fourth in the lead-up since Shocking (Peter young 7^th in 2011) – this year that RULES OUT: #3 Ambitious, #7 Harlem and #8 Lord Fandango
• The highest Win Rate of the field belongs to #4 Gailo Chop (48%) followed by #10 Homesman (38%)
• The best Place Rate of the field belongs to #6 Supply And Demand (75%) and #10 Homesman (75%)
• The horses with winning form at the Flemington track record in the race are: #2 Almandin (6:3-0-0), #1 Hartnell (6:1-1-1) and #4 Gailo Chop (3:1-0-0)

• The horses with the best record at the distance (2000m) are: #4 Gailo Chop (11:6-0-0), #1 Hartnell (12:4-3-1), #10 Homesman (4:2-0-1), #8 Lord Fandango (3:2-0-0), #3 Ambitious (5:2-0-0), #2 Almandin (7:1-3-1) and #6 Supply And Demand (1:1-0-0)

Stay tuned for our exclusive Australian Cup 2018 tips, checking out the full race form guide in the meantime below courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.