The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Gold Trip is firming favourite to win the 2022 Turnbull Stakes this weekend at Flemington.

Duais chases her fourth career Group 1 win in Saturday’s 2022 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington. Photo: Steve Hart.

The French-bred Outstrip entire has his third run down under on Saturday as one of a capacity field taking to the track for the Group 1 $1 million Turnbull Stakes (2000m).

Gold Trip comes off back-to-back third placings for the stable.

Last time out the horse was excellent only a length off his stablemate Smokin’ Romans carrying 60kg in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield.

He drops right back to 54.5kg for the Turnbull with Jamie Kah coming aboard for the ride.

Gold Trip, one of 57 second acceptances taken for the Melbourne Cup this week, sits top of the Turnbull Stakes odds at $3.70 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

The stable has also accepted for their Naturalism Stakes winner Smokin’ Romans who jumps from barrier six on Saturday in the Turnbull Stakes field.

The in-form six-year-old was good winning over this distance with 54kg, but goes up to 55.5kg here meeting Gold Trip worse in the weights for the rematch.

As such, he is only rated a $20 chance in the Turnbull Stakes betting markets to go back-to-back.

Following Gold Trip in the markets is the only other single-figure hope for the Turnbull, the Edward Cummings-trained mare Duais ($4.80), who also features in the Melbourne Cup second acceptances.

The three-time Group 1 winning daughter of Shamus Award chases her first win since claiming the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) – Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) interstate double by a combined margin of five and a half lengths in March.

She has had two runs this time in finishing out of the money in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (10^th) and Group 1 George Main Stakes (6^th) over 1400m and 1600m respectively, but will relish getting out over more distance this weekend.

Danny O’Brien has two genuine Turnbull Stakes chance on Saturday with stablemates Young Werther ($12) and Inspirational Girl ($14) jumping from opposite ends of the field in barriers one and 13 respectively.

Tavistock five-year-old Young Werther is after just his second career win at start number 13.

As a three-year-old in the autumn of 2021 he was excellent running second in both the ATC Derby before returning for a second to Incentivise in this race 12 months ago.

He has had just the two runs since, the latest of which was an eye-catching fourth fresh behind Makram at Flemington over 1700m carrying 61kg on September 10.

Young Werther comes back to 54.5kg here and looks a top hope to return to his best form.

Inspirational Girl is also second-up, the seven-year-old Reliable Man mare having run a distant second fresh behind Mr Brightside at The Valley in the Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) a month back.

Trainer Chris Waller boasts an outstanding record in the Turnbull having five winners in the past seven years including most recently Verry Elleegant (2020).

He is back this weekend saddling-up three in the field with Great House ($19) out wide in gate 15, Crystal Pegasus ($67) the roughie hope in gate eight and Surefire ($17) the best fancied for the team in barrier 11.

Fastnet Rock five-year-old Surefire was scratched from Sydney’s Group 1 $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m) on the same day in favour of a run in the Turnbull and was last seen

The other best in betting chasing an upset at double-figures include the Richard Litt-trained Deep Impact four-year-old Profondo ($10) and the Godolphin-raced Alegron ($13) coming off a Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes victory in Sydney.

The Turnbull Stakes 2022 is set to run as Flemington Race 7 at 4:25pm (AEST).

Click here for the latest markets courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2022 Turnbull Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw  

Table Credit: Racing Australia.