Reigning Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip on the quick back-up is tipped to return to winning form when he takes on a capacity field of rivals in Rosehill’s 2023 Tancred Stakes this weekend in Sydney.

Melbourne Cup champion Gold Trip is tipped to return to winning form in Saturday’s 2023 Tancred Stakes in Sydney. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained stayer sits top of the field and betting markets for this year’s edition of the Group 1 $1.5 million Tancred Stakes (2400m) drawn wide out in gate 13 for jockey Mark Zahra.

The French-bred Outstrip six-year-old presents third-up and fit on the quick back-up chasing his first win since his two-length Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) triumph over the two miles at Flemington last November.

Fresh he ran a close second to stablemate Steinem in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) before his somewhat flat fifth at the Rosehill track last weekend behind runaway winner Dubai Honour in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m).

Gold Trip is tipped to atone for that run getting out to a more suitable trip up to the mile and a half in the Tancred Stakes this weekend and pays $4.80 through Ladbrokes.com.au to win.

The danger occupying the second line of Tancred Stakes betting also out of the Ranvet Stakes here on Golden Slipper Day is David Payne’s classy mare Montefilia at $6.

She was eye-catching running second in her ultimately unsuccessful title defence in the Ranvet, but showed nice improvement on her first-up fifth the run prior in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) behind Anamoe.

At her last 2400m run she was excellent at a price when only a length off Durston in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).

The now five-year-old daughter of Kermadec is ticking plenty of boxes for Saturday to post her first victory since the 2022 Ranvet and has apprentice Dylan Gibbons continuing associations.

Also being kept safe in the markets at $8 is the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Knights Order.

Third in the Caulfield Cup in the spring the veteran So You Think eight-year-old was far from disgraced here on March 11 when sixth only two lengths beaten in the Group 3 Sky High Stakes (2000m).

Waterhouse chases her first Tancred Stakes win since her 2008 success with Tuesday Joy and also saddles-up Sir Lucan on Saturday.

The Camelot gelding was imported last spring and ran 14^th first-up in the Melbourne Cup before being put away for an autumn return.

He won when resuming at Randwick on March 4 in the Listed Randwick City Stakes (2000m) and was narrowly denied another victory when beaten in a photo running third to Timour here in last weekend’s Group 3 NE Manion Cup (2400m).

Sir Lucan goes up in grade and weight from 58kg to 59kg for the Tancred Stakes and is at a current quote of $9.50 to post his first win in Australia.

He is another that will appreciate getting up to 2400m in the Tancred with Tim Clark staying on from a favourable barrier nine draw.

Rounding out the single-figure hopes is Joseph O’Brien’s Irish raider Cleveland ($9) racing first-up in Australia with Kerrin McEvoy aboard the five-year-old son of Camelot.

The Tancred Stakes 2023 is set to run as Rosehill Race 8 at 4:40pm (AEDT) with full markets from Ladbrokes.com.au available by clicking here.

2023 Tancred Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.