Champion sprinter Redzel is out to start the shortest-priced favourite in Black Caviar Lightning Stakes odds since the race’s namesake went back-to-back at $1.10 in 2012-13.

Redzel is the deserving odds-on favourite in Black Caviar Lightning 2018 betting at Flemington first-up on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.

The Melbourne Festival of Racing continues at Flemington Racecourse on Saturday with the meeting headline by a 10-starter field of sprinters facing off in the Group 1 $750,000 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at 4:45pm (AEDT).

Formerly the Lightning Stakes, the weight-for-age showdown is named in honour of former superstar Black Caviar who won the event three times on the trot from 2011-13.

She jumped top of the markets at $1.20 for her first in 2011 and then returned in 2012 and 2013 dominating betting at $1.10.

In 2016 Chautauqua ($2.75) also saluted as favourite in Black Caviar Lightning betting giving the top fancies a recent record of four wins from 2011 – 2017.

This year it is the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Redzel out to salute for the punters as the ultra-consistent son of Snitzel kicks off his autumn at a track he is undefeated at.

Redzel has won his latest six starts including the $10 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick and the Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington to see out his stellar spring campaign.

An excellent first-up performer, the $7.79 million earner is also two-from-two at Flemington and has finished worse than second just once in five starts over the 1000m distance.

No surprises then to see Redzel sitting top of the Black Caviar Lightning odds at $1.80 through Ladbrokes.com.au despite his wide barrier nine of 10 draw.

Just two of his rivals are considered any kind of hope to score the upset with Hey Doc ($8) and Terravista ($9) the other single-figure chances.

Tony McEvoy saddles-up the resuming Duporth four-year-old Hey Doc who chases a third Group 1 success.

He won the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington over the mile as a three-year-old and was last seen saluting at The Valley on October 27 in the Group 1 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes (1200m).

Hey Doc has a 50% winning strike rate at the Flemington track (6:3-1-0) and is another first-up flyer with three wins and a third from four runs fresh to date.

Terravista returns to defend his Black Caviar Lightning Stakes title after scoring the narrow upset at $15 odds 12 months ago.

Drawn one on the outside of Hey Doc (3) in barrier four, Mark Zahra comes aboard Joe Pride’s now eight-year-old whose last start produced the brave second to Redzel at huge odds in the Darley Classic.

Last year Terravista was the first double-figure Lightning Stakes winner since Scenic Blast ($21 in 2009) and the best of the longer-priced runners this year include the Lindsay Park-trained Newmarket Handicap winner Redkirk Warrior ($11) and Pride’s other runner Ball Of Muscle ($15).

Check out the latest Black Caviar Lightning 2018 odds below, pricing open now at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2018 Black Caviar Lightning Betting