The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Smokin’ Romans is favourite to win the 2022 Caulfield Cup this weekend in Melbourne with the final field for the $5 million feature now confirmed.

Turnbull Stakes champ Smokin’ Romans is favourite to win the 2022 Caulfield Cup this weekend. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The classy chestnut is one of a capacity line-up of runners facing off in the Group 1 $5 million Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup (2400m) on Saturday, the six-year-old chasing a hat-trick with Jamie Kah in the saddle for the big one.

He won the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) here two back before a barnstorming effort at Flemington to post a big 1.5 length upset at $20 in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m).

History shows the Turnbull Stakes is the superior form race of the spring leading up to the majors, and Smokin’ Romans is out to frank that this year.

Incentivise (2021) did the Turnbull Stakes – Caulfield Cup double last Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

Caulfield Cup odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au have Smokin’ Romans at $5.50 to be the next.

Smokin’ Romans carries a 1.5kg Caulfield Cup weight penalty in the mile and a half classic on Saturday, but remains a huge chance still only carrying 51.5kg down from 55.5kg in the Turnbull.

The Maher/Eustace stable also saddle-up their Melbourne Cup-bound French import and Saturday’s 57.5kg top-weight Gold Trip who ran third in the Naturalism and fifth when two lengths off his stablemate in the Turnbull last time out.

The danger occupying the second line of Caulfield Cup betting this season is the John O’Shea-trained Benaud to be ridden by Regan Bayliss. 

The four-year-old Reliable Man grey remains lightly-raced having just his 13^th career start this weekend and has won just once leading-up to the world’s richest mile and a half handicap.

Runner-up in the ATC Derby over this distance during the autumn in Sydney, he is fit fifth-up this season looking to improve on his sixth when only 2.45 lengths off Cox Plate favourite Anamoe in the Group 1 Might And Power (2000m) here last weekend.

Runner-up to Incentivise last year, the Grahame Begg-trained Rebel Raider gelding Nonconformist is back for another shot at the title on the weekend.

He has had four unplaced runs since, the latest seeing him run second last in the Might And Power, but he remains a chance getting back up to a more suitable staying distance in the Cup.

Looking to join Jameka (2016) and Verry Elleegant (2020) as the latest Caulfield Cup winning mares are the likes of the Edward Cummings-trained Duais and the Danny O’Brien-trained Inspirational Girl.

Shamus Award five-year-old Duais won the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) and Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) over the autumn to shoot to the top of all-in betting for the spring cups.

She’s been slightly disappointing in her three lead-up runs over shorter distances, but was finishing well in her Turnbull Stakes eighth and is likely to improve notably up to 2400m here.

Inspirational Girl is also a Turnbull Stakes graduate (seventh) who is yet to win over further than a mile.

She is joined in the field by her stablemate Vow And Declare, who won the 2019 Melbourne Cup after a second in the Caulfield Cup that year.

Godolphin are in the Caulfield Cup race this year with their in-form four-year-old Alegron, winner of the Listed VRC St Leger over 2800m on Anzac Day, who gets in on just 53kg here.

Third in the ATC Derby and fourth in the SA Derby as a three-year-old earlier in the year, he comes off a confidence-boosting second-up win in Sydney’s Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) over Benaud from September 17.

Other noteworthy Caulfield Cup horses in 2022 include Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott’s Sydney Cup winner Knights Order coming off a string of good runs including a fourth in the Turnbull and the Chris Waller-trained Group 1 The Metropolitan winner chasing the interstate double No Compromise.

Durston and Makram are listed as the two Caulfield Cup emergencies.

The 2022 Caulfield Cup barrier draw was conducted from 6:05pm (AEDT) on Tuesday evening and saw Smokin’ Romans come up trumps with gate five.

Click here for the latest Caulfield Cup 2022 betting odds thanks to Ladbrokes.com.au.

2022 Caulfield Cup Final Field

Table Credit: Racing Australia.