The autumn’s best stayers do battle at Randwick on Saturday in the 2018 Sydney Cup, our full form guide analysis and betting preview for the two mile classic detailed below.

Aloft is the early market mover in Sydney Cup 2018 betting for this weekend at Royal Randwick. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Set to run as Randwick Race 8 at 3:45pm (AEST) on Day 2 of ‘The Championships’ one race after Winx races in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, this year’s Group 1 $2 million Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) field is set to run at a capacity 20 starters.

Despite the bumper line-up there are just three horses under $10 for the win in the latest Sydney Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au with top-weight Almandin (57kg) leading the markets at $4.20.

Winner of the 2016 Melbourne Cup, the now Liam Howley-raced Team Williams’ veteran comes off a lead-up victory in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) from March 31.

He still looks well-weighted for Saturday as the Monsun eight-year-old chases the Tancred Stakes – Sydney Cup double.

The dangers looking at the latest Sydney Cup betting markets are early firmer Aloft ($8 into $7) also Howley-trained and the Kiwi raider Sir Charles Road ($7), also both coming off wins in the Roy Higgins Quality and Chairman’s Quality respectively.

Below we go over the full Sydney Cup 2018 form guide, betting history and statistical data looking to sort the genuine contenders from the pretenders in Saturday’s $2 million showdown.

2018 Sydney Cup Form Facts & Betting Stats

• Last year’s Sydney Cup winner was the Charlie Appleby-trained English raider Polarisation (2017) who won first-up down under from barrier 6 (of 14) with Corey Brown riding the 51.5kg lightweight to victory
• The non-Australian trained horses in this year’s Sydney Cup winner are #6 Pre Stwick ($12) from Japan, the New Zealander #7 Five To Midnight ($31), and fellow Kiwi raiders #13 Sir Charles Road ($7) and #12 Zacada ($101)
• Owner Lloyd Williams has won the Sydney Cup twice since 2013 and is in the mix this weekend with: #1 Almandin ($4.20) and #10 Aloft ($7)
• Sydney Cup favourites have a gun recent record in the race with five wins in the past 10 years including most recently The Offer (2014); #1 Almandin ($4.20) is out to be the next this weekend

• The previous Sydney Cup winning trainers with a starter on Saturday are: Chris Waller chasing a third with #2 Who Shot Thebarman ($16), #3 Libran ($31) and #17 Patrick Erin ($26); fellow two-time winner Gai Waterhouse with #16 Cismontane ($71); David Hayes with #4 Ventura Storm ($11); Murray Baker with #12 Zacada ($101); John O’Shea with #18 Peribsen ($21); and Kris Lees with triple-figure roughies #19 Admiral Jello ($101) and #21 Doukhan ($101)
• Last year’s winning hoop Corey Brown chases back-to-back Sydney Cup wins by a jockey for the first time since 1998-99 aboard #18 Peribsen
• The other previous Sydney Cup winning jockeys with a ride on the weekend are: Damien Oliver on #1 Almandin, Glen Boss on #4 Ventura Storm, Craig Williams on #9 Lord Fandango, dual winner Kerrin McEvoy chasing a third on #10 Aloft and Craig Newitt on #17 Patrick Erin

• Last year’s winning barrier (6) has produced only two Sydney Cup winners since 1983 and belongs this year to #18 Peribsen
• The most successful Sydney Cup barrier (since 1983) producing nine winners is gate eight drawn this weekend by #4 Ventura Storm ($11)
• Top weight #1 Almandin (57kg) is out to be just the second Sydney Cup winner to carry more than 56kg to victory since Tie The Knot (57kg) for his second in 1999 along with Mourayan (58kg in 2013)
• The average Sydney Cup weight carried to victory in the past decade is 53.5kg and #4 Ventura Storm is the only horse allocated those exact kilos this weekend
• The past five Sydney Cup winners saluted as five-year-olds; the 5YOs in the field this year are #4 Ventura Storm, #5 Single Gaze, #7 Five To Midnight, #9 Lord Fandango, #12 Zacada, #14 Gallic Chieftain, #16 Cismontane, #18 Peribsen, #19 Admiral Jello and #20 Ormito

• Ista Kareem (8YO in 2009) is the only Sydney Cup winner older than seven in the past 30 plus years; the veterans out to buck the trend this weekend are #1 Almandin (8YO), #2 Who Shot Thebarman (9YO) and #21 Doukhan (9YO)
• Since Makybe Diva (2004) the only Sydney Cup winning mare to beat home the boys was Jessicabeel (2010); the mares in the field on Saturday are: #5 Single Gaze ($21) and #15 Lasqueti Spirit ($151)
• Only one Sydney Cup winner since 2006 has finished worse than fourth in their final lead-up race; this year that rules out: #5 Single Gaze, #6 Pre Stwick, #8 Auvray, #9 Lord Fandango, #12 Zacada, #15 Lasqueti Spirit, #16 Cismontane, #17 Patrick Erin, #19 Admiral Jello and #21 Doukhan
• The Chairman’s Stakes has produced seven of the past 10 Sydney Cup winners; the Chairman’s Stakes graduates in the race on the quick back-up this year are: Sir Charles Road (1^st), Ventura Storm (2^nd); Peribsen (3^rd), Ormito (4^th), Doukhan (5^th), Admiral Jello (7^th), Cismontane (8^th) and Zacada (10^th)
• #13 Sir Charles Road ($7) chases the Chairman’s Stakes – Sydney Cup double for the for first time since The Offer (2014)
• The highest Win Rate of the field belongs to #17 Patrick Erin (43%) followed by #10 Aloft (36%) and #1 Almandin (35%)
• The highest Place Rate of the field belongs to #17 Patrick Erin (78%) followed by #10 Aloft (71%) and #1 Almandin (70%)
• The horses with winning form over the two mile (3200m) distance are: #2 Who Shot Thebarman (8:1-2-1), #1 Almandin (2:1-0-0) and #10 Aloft (1:1-0-0)
• The horses with winning form at the Randwick track are: #3 Libran (12:3-1-1), #8 Auvray (8:1-1-0), #13 Sir Charles Road (1:1-0-0), #19 Admiral Jello (7:1-1-2) and #21 Doukhan (5:1-0-0)

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