Smokin’ Romans has come up trumps with barrier five in his bid to salute for the punters as favourite in Saturday’s Group 1 $5 million Caulfield Cup (2400m).

2022 Caulfield Cup favourite Smokin’ Romans jumps from barrier five in Saturday’s $5 million feature. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The official 2022 Caulfield Cup barrier draw was conducted on Tuesday night.

The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Smokin’ Romans heads Caulfield Cup betting at $4.50 through Ladbrokes.com.au to secure a third win on the bounce.

He comes off strong performances in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) and Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m), the latter he won as a $20 outsider.

The classy chestnut, who has winning form up to 2500m, won’t be found at that price for Saturday’s feature with his chances boosted with the barrier.

The in-form Jamie Kah comes aboard the 51.5kg lightweight in place of Ethan Brown.

Smokin’ Romans is out to become the third horse in as many years to complete the Turnbull Stakes – Caulfield Cup double following on from Verry Elleegant (2020) and Incentivise (2021).

Maher & Eustace also saddle-up Saturday’s 57.5kg top-weight, French import Gold Trip ($12) drawn barrier 12 as he looks to improve on his lead-up placings behind Smokin’ Romans in the Naturalism (3^rd) and Turnbull (5^th).

Despite a capacity Caulfield Cup field this spring, there is only one other stayer under double-figures for the win with the John O’Shea-trained Benaud ($9.50) rated the danger.

The autumn’s ATC Derby runner, Benaud has drawn the extreme outside alley and will jump from barrier 18 of 18 on Saturday.

Incentivise jumped from barrier 18 last year as did French raider Dunaden in 2012.

The last back-to-back champions from the same Caulfield Cup barrier draw were Taufan’s Melody (2998) and Sky Heights (1999) from barrier nine.

O’Shea also saddles-up Maximal ($21) from the second widest alley with Ben Melham to ride the Galileo entire who caught the eye with a strong second in the Turnbull Stakes last time out on a firm track.

From 2009 – 2021 eight of the 13 Caulfield Cup winners jumped from a double-digit barrier draw.

The other widest-drawn this year are the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-rained Knights Order (18 into 16), Danny O’Brien’s 2019 Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare (17 into 15) and David Payne’s multiple Group 1 winning mare Montefilia (16 into 14).

Knights Order, winner of the Group 1 Sydney Cup over the two miles from the autumn, is the early Caulfield Cup betting market mover into $12.

He presents rock hard fit fourth-up and has been in strong form this prep including his fresh win in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) on a Heavy (10) track in Sydney.

The Irish-bred So You Think eight-year-old then ran third to Alegron in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) before an eye-catching fourth at a big price in the Turnbull Stakes.

He is a superior wet-tracker and will relish getting back on a Heavy track this weekend.

Godolphin’s Kingston Town Stakes winner Alegron ($11) drew barrier 14 and has Smokin’ Roman’s recent rider Ethan Brown aboard, while last year’s Caulfield Cup runner-up Nonconformist ($11) is drawn one wider in gate 15.

The 2022 Caulfield Cup is set to run as Caulfield Race 9 at 5:15pm (AEDT) as the penultimate event on Saturday’s bumper 10-race card.

Click here for the latest Caulfield Cup 2022 odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2022 Caulfield Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.