The Sydneysiders are doing their best this Melbourne Cup Day to draw some of the attention of the ‘race that stops a nation’ at Flemington with Randwick host to the inaugural $2 million The Big Dance (1600m).

Quality Time from the Chris Waller stable is one of the best chances in the $2 million Big Dance 2022 race in Sydney on Melbourne Cup Day. Photo: Steve Hart.

The lucrative mile showdown is a brand-new quality handicap restricted to horses contesting one of 25 selected Country Cups throughout the year.

The opening Big Dance field in 2022 has drawn a bumper final field of 20 starters plus four emergencies with the in-form Kris Lees-trained Hosier narrow early favourite.

Drawn wide with barrier 20 (potentially into 17 with emergencies out), the imported Camelot six-year-old is only lightly raced having won seven of his 11 starts to date.

Two back he won the Coffs Cup over the mile before another victory at the Big Dance track and distance on October 1 carrying 59kg.

He is back to 57kg in the Big Dance field with the world’s most loved international hoop Frankie Dettori coming aboard.

Occupying the second line of Big Dance betting at Ladbrokes.com.au is equal 61kg top-weight Surf Dancer ($6) for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott.

The Irish-bred son of Lope De Vega won the South Grafton Cup with the same heavy weight back in July and was excellent first-up at Rosehill with less kilos winning the Group 2 Shannon Stakes (1500m).

Last start here on The Everest Day was well-beaten when sixth behind Cascadian in the Group 3 Craven Plate (1800m), but can bounce back here returning to 1600m in easier company.

Despite the size of the field just two other Big Dance horses are under $10 for the win currently with the Hawkes Racing-trained Bandersnatch ($8.50) carrying 61kg from the third widest barrier position and the early market mover Quality Time ($8.50) for Chris Waller.

Bandersnatch brings in some strong form lines to the seven-figure Sydney feature race next Tuesday having run a first-up third only 1.2 lengths off I Wish I Win in the Listed Testa Rossa Stakes (1300m) in September before his devastatingly close second behind Aegon on Caulfield Cup Day in the Group 3 Moonga Stakes (1400m).

Quality Time meanwhile is after his fourth win on the trot, the German-bred chestnut last seen carrying 56kg to victory in the Port Macquarie Cup (2000m).

He drops down in both weight and distance here in on just 54kg and has William Pike aboard from a favourable barrier nine draw.

Waller suffered a blow this week with his Caulfield Cup winner Durston ruled out of the $8 million Lexus Melbourne Cup, but could be in for a consolation prize in Sydney saddling up a further two runners in the Big Dance field with Aleas ($19) and Wicklow ($12).

The Big Dance 2022 is set to run as Randwick Race 5 at 2:20pm (AEDT), just forty minutes before the 162^nd edition of the Melbourne Cup is run and won at 3:00pm (AEDT) in Victoria.

Click here for the latest The Big Dance 2022 betting markets thanks to Ladbrokes.com.au.

2022 The Big Dance Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.