Pre-field 2018 Tancred Stakes betting for this weekend’s major in Sydney is a two horse battle between last weekend’s Ranvet Stakes winner Gailo Chop and the Lloyd Williams-raced 2016 Melbourne Cup champ Almandin.

Last weekend’s Ravnet Stakes winner Gailo Chop is favourite in 2018 Tancred Stakes betting despite being untested at 2400m. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

On Monday Racing NSW received a dozen nominations for the Group 1 $1.5 million KIA Tancred Stakes (2400m), the weight-for-age clash formerly known as The BMW to run at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Subsequent Tancred Stakes odds released at Ladbrokes.com.au have the Darren Weir-trained seven-year-old Gailo Chop on top at $2.30 to run on successive Saturdays chasing back-to-back Rosehill Group 1 wins.

The former French-trained chestnut blitzed his maiden Sydney debut in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) on Golden Slipper Day relishing the Soft-rated track for a three length victory over the Nick Olive-trained Single Gaze.

He is now favourite to complete the Ranvet Stakes – Tancred Stakes double for the first time since Silent Achiever (2014) and hand Victoria’s premier trainer Weir his first success in the latter.

The danger in futures Tancred Stakes betting is the Liam Howley-trained Monsun eight-year-old German import Almandin ($3.50).

Last seen running a close fourth when under one and a half-lengths beaten by Harlem in Flemington’s Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) from Super Saturday, Almandin is out to be the third Tancred Stakes winner out of that race in as many years following Preferment (1^st in 2016) and Jameka (2^nd in 2017).

Almandin reunites with hoop Kerrin McEvoy in the Tancred Stakes field on the weekend for the first time since the duo won the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) in 2016.

The other single-figure fancy in the markets ahead of final acceptances on Wednesday morning is the Ranvet Stakes second placegetter Single Gaze ($7).

Silent Achiever (2014) and Jameka (2017) are the latest Tancred Stakes winning mares and Single Gaze gets the chance to turn the tables on Gailo Chop getting out to 2400m.

Saturday has the in-form favourite Gailo Chop up to a mile and a half for the first time in his career, while Olive’s daughter of Not A Single Doubt Single Gaze was runner-up in last year’s Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) over the distance.

Also in the first half of the markets at $10 to win is the other Howley-trained entry The Taj Mahal.

The four-year-old Galileo entire was scratched from the Ranvet Stakes field last weekend due to the wet Rosehill track and is out to improve on his eighth in the Australian Cup last time out when only three lengths beaten.

His other latest run was back in November when defeating Almandin in the Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) at Sandown.

Check out the latest Tancred Stakes 2018 odds online through Ladbrokes.com.au before markets firm on Wednesday.