2023 Caulfield Cup Field Update: No. 7 Nonconformist (19) has been scratched after failing his final vet check. First emergency No. 19 United Nations gets a start from out wide in barrier 17. Click here for the full story.

Gold Trip is firming favourite to secure the opening leg of the coveted Spring Cups’ double sitting top of the 2023 Caulfield Cup odds for Saturday’s major.

Gold Trip is firming favourite in barrier 11 to win the $5 million Caulfield Cup 2023 on Saturday in Melbourne. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Money has continued to come in for the reining Melbourne Cup champ when he lines-up from barrier 11 in the 18-horse Group 1 $5 million Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup (2400m) field.

The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained import was second from the same gate behind Dunaden in last year’s Caulfield Cup results.

He would go on to make history with a Melbourne Cup victory over the two miles at Flemington two starts later.

The now seven-year-old son of Outstrip was back in the Flemington winners’ stall last start scoring an upset in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m).

Incentivise (2021) did the Turnbull – Caulfield Cup double two years back, and now Gold Trip is out to do the same carrying the 58.5kg top-weight with Ben Melham picking up the ride.

The good gate has seen Gold Trip firm into $5 favouritism in the latest Caulfield Cup odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au.

Favourites in Caulfield Cup betting saluted five times from 2007 – 2022 with the aforementioned Incentivise ($2.70 in 2021) the most recent.

Punters are preparing for a belter of a race on Saturday and it is a tight top-half of the markets with a further four runners also under $10 for the win.

The current danger occupying the second line of betting at $6.50 is the Simon & Ed Crisford-trained raider West Wind Blows drawn barrier two with Jamie Spencer to ride on 54kg.

Tawqeet (2006) was the last Caulfield Cup winner from barrier two, while the internationals have a strong record with Best Solution (2018) and Mer De Glace (2019) both beating home the locals in recent history.

Teofilo five-year-old West Wind Blows is yet to win over further than 2227m despite four attempts at the mile-and-a-half, but he put the writing on the wall first-up down under when second to Gold Trip in the Turnbull with improvement to come.

The early Caulfield Cup market mover meanwhile well-supported in from $18 to $12 is one of two in the mix for Ireland’s Joseph O’Brien, Valiant King, who has the inside alley.

Jamie Kah rides the four-year-old Roaring Lion entire on the 50kg light-weight with the horse having just his eighth start in his Group 1 debut.

O’Brien’s other runner Okita Soushi, who has a great record at the distance, has also seen some early love backed in from $26 to $17 with Kerrin McEvoy aboard the Melbourne Cup-bound galloper from barrier 12 on 51.5kg.

Chris Waller has prepared two of the past three Caulfield Cup winners with Verry Elleegant (2020) and Dunaden (2022), and his best shot at a third trophy for the cabinet is the $7 third elect Soulcombe.

The Turnbull Stakes third place-getter is nearing his peak now, gets the weight advantage in the rematch this weekend coming back to 53.5kg, and drew well with barrier six.

Barrier six is the most successful Caufield Cup gate in recent history and last produced a winner in Dunaden last spring.

Without A Fight ($7.50) coming off a brilliant sixth when resuming in the Underwood Stakes in an ideal Caulfield Cup trial and Japanese raider Breakup ($9.50) bringing in some excellent form lines from back home complete the single-figure Caulfield Cup contenders in the current markets.

Click here to access the full Caulfield Cup 2023 odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.