The progressive James Cummings-trained Golden Mile will face off against 15 rivals with a capacity 16-starter field plus two emergencies declared for the 2022 Caulfield Guineas this weekend.

Golden Mile is favourite to win the 2022 Caulfield Guineas in Melbourne this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.

The Group 1 $3 million Neds Caulfield Guineas (1600m) headlines the Melbourne race card on Saturday and a there’s full line-up of the season’s best three-year-old colts and geldings.

Caulfield Guineas betting markets were thrown into disarray last Saturday when the hot all-in favourite, Aft Cabin, was officially scratched after suffering a bleeding attack from both nostrils in trackwork.

The boom colt, who sprung to the top of the Caulfield Guineas markets with his 3 ½ length demolition job in the Prelude last month, will spend a mandatory three-month stint on the sidelines forcing him out of the remainder of the spring.

The fellow Godolphin-raced Astern colt, Golden Mile, is the new favourite ahead of the all-important Caulfield Guineas barrier draw for the classic which will be conducted this afternoon.

Golden Mile has won two of his four starts to date including the big three length Group 3 Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) at Rosehill on September 10.

He was last seen running a brave fourth behind the impressive Jacquinot in the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) ahead of his mile test in Melbourne on Saturday.

Cummings chases back-to-back Caulfield Guineas victories this spring following his 2021 success with Anamoe who improved on a Golden Rose second to win last year.

Hoop of the hour, James McDonald, comes aboard in place of Sam Clipperton on the Caulfield Guineas favourite chasing his second trophy.

Donning the number one saddlecloth in this year’s race is the Ben & JD Hayes-trained American Pharoah colt Tijuana who is proven over the mile having won Monee Valley’s Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) last time out.

He and jockey Mark Zhara have a task ahead however with Whobegotyou (2008) the last horse to complete the Stutt Stakes – Caulfield Guineas double.

The stable also have the first emergency Angry Skies lying in wait of a start should one of the confirmed 16 scratch out.

Also coming off a last start victory is the Dan O’Sullivan-trained Berkeley Square who is after his third win on the trot.

Craig Williams continues associations on the in-form gelding who actually beat Tijuana home at his last start a month ago when taking out Flemington’s Listed Exford Plate (1400m).

O’Sullivan is confident Berkeley Square has what it takes to be competitive over the Caulfield mile in an open edition of the classic, but admits he does not want an inside draw for his shot at a maiden Group 1 victory.

“A horse like him, with his size, you would like every race at Flemington, but that can’t always happen, so we’re happy to go back to Caulfield and have a crack at it,” O’Sullivan told RS NewsWire.

“I think with every horse you would prefer to see in a mid-range draw as you can weigh up your options. He’s been beaten once and he drew barrier one, so I don’t want barrier one.

“I would like it to dry out and make for good racing, but the day he raced at Caulfield, that was a soft track. I certainly don’t want heavy, but what do you do, you have to have a go at it.”

The other best out of the Stutt Stakes meanwhile looking to frank that form is the Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes-trained runner-up, Maurice colt Foujita San.

Among the other key challengers to the single-figure fancies are Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude place-getters Meridius (2^nd) and Amenable (3^rd).

Dominating the Caulfield Guineas field numbers-wise with three final acceptors are Ciaron Maher & David Eustace who will saddle-up Prelude fourth place-getter Sir Bailey, So You Think colt Lethal Thoughts and the progressive The Fortune Teller to be ridden by Jamie Kah.

The Caulfield Guineas 2022 barrier draw was conducted on Tuesday afternoon with both Golden Mile and Berkeley Square coming up trumps with barriers five and seven respectively.

Click here to view the latest Caulfield Guineas betting markets on the final acceptors, courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2022 Caulfield Guineas Final Field

Table Credit: Racing Australia.