Hawk Island comes into the race as the top weighted entrant but will still have plenty of support after lugging an even bigger weight to victory across the wet turf last start.

Melbourne Cup runner C’est La Guerre is a major threat with a steadily improving campaign looking to peak just in time for the Sydney Cup.

The top Australian hope is Gai Waterhouse’s Once Were Wild and she has a handy second horse too with Older Than Time.

It’s assured of being an exciting contest with Mourayan tipped to again put the pace on early and try and kick a couple of lengths clear as they turn for home.

To bet on the 2011 Sydney Cup check out Luxbet where the market has been open for weeks. Because of the closeness of the race there’s great odds about every runner and if you fancy a long shot most of the field is well into double figures.

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2011 Sydney Cup Form Guide

#1 – Hawk Island (Barrier – 12) (57kgs)

• Trainer: Chris Waller
• Jockey: Glyn Schofield
• Career Stats: 34s – 10w – 8p
• Last Start: 1st at Randwick

Awesome win last start in horrible conditions with a big weight on a wet track. If he produces the same run he will win but the question is how much does he have left in the tank.

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#2 – C’est La Guerre (Barrier – 9) (56kgs)

• Trainer: Robert Hickmott
• Jockey: Michael Rodd
• Career Stats: 31s – 6w – 4p
• Last Start: 3rd at Randwick

Has been steadily improving all year towards this event and if the pattern continues he should be well and truly towards the front. Likes a dead or slow track, if he gets one he’ll place or better.

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#3 – Once Were Wild (Barrier – 17) (55kgs)

• Trainer: Gai Waterhouse
• Jockey: Nash Rawiller
• Career Stats: 18s – 7w – 2p
• Last Start: 1st at Randwick

Won on this track last start and she’s the best local chance. Only run the trip once and failed to place and she needs a dead track at the absolute worst to be a big threat.

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#4 – Mourayan (Barrier – 11) (54.5kgs)

• Trainer: Robert Hickmott
• Jockey: Nicholas Hall
• Career Stats: 22s – 2w – 9p
• Last Start: 2nd at Rosehill

Horrible career stats but punters were impressed by the gutsy effort last start. He’ll battle for the lead with Once Were Wild and don’t be surprised if they make an early break off the front.

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#5 – Above Average (Barrier – 1) (54kgs)

• Trainer: Lee Freedman
• Jockey: Corey Brown
• Career Stats: 22s – 2w – 10p
• Last Start: 3rd at Caulfield

Almost identical stats to Mourayan but doesn’t deserve to be so long in betting. There’s a good feeling around this horse and he hasn’t been far away in his previous two.

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#6 – Muir (Barrier – 14) (54kgs)

• Trainer: Robert Hickmott
• Jockey: Darren Gauci
• Career Stats: 22s – 6w – 3p
• Last Start: 1st at Morphettville

Won the Adelaide Cup last start but will face a little more quality in this one. He’s improved a hell of a lot since February and if he can improve a little more he can win this race.

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#7 – Tinseltown (Barrier – 6) (54kgs)

• Trainer: Michael Moroney
• Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy
• Career Stats: 45s – 8w – 8p
• Last Start: 7th at Randwick

Hard to see him compete here after an average run in the Auckland Cup and a 5.5 length 7th behind Once Were Wild last start. Would be a massive surprise.

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#8 – Bid Spotter (Barrier – 2) (53.5kgs)

• Trainer: Graeme Rogerson
• Jockey: Brenton Avdulla
• Career Stats: 28s – 7w – 4p
• Last Start: 1st at Rosehill

Won the Hobart Cup, finished near last as favourite in the Launceston Cup and then charged home to win the Manion Cup at big odds. Form is unreadable, a must for exotics.

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#9 – Macedonian (Barrier – 7) (53.5kgs)

• Trainer: Peter Moody
• Jockey: Dwayne Dunn
• Career Stats: 21s – 5w – 5p
• Last Start: 3rd at Morphettville

Finished last year with two in a row but has struggled to hit top gear in 2011. Still, results are improving and he was less than a length off Muir in the Adelaide Cup last start.

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#10 – Laristan (Barrier – 16) (53.5kgs)

• Trainer: David Hayes
• Jockey: Craig Williams
• Career Stats: 12s – 5w – 1p
• Last Start: 5th at Rosehill

Has a win over 2400m but never run this journey. Was comfortably beaten in The BMW and will need a Good rated track to be any hope of causing an upset..

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#11 – Older Than Time (Barrier – 10) (53.5kgs)

• Trainer: Gai Waterhouse
• Jockey: Glen Boss
• Career Stats: 10s – 5w – 3p
• Last Start: 4th at Randwick

Fourth in the Chairman Stakes after a string of four straight wins in 2011. The distance is the obvious query and she’s never won over 2000m but it’s a mare who knows how to find the line.

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#12 – Strike One (Barrier – 3) (53.5kgs)

• Trainer: Chris Waller
• Jockey: Tim Clark
• Career Stats: 37s – 7w – 13p
• Last Start: 6th at Randwick

Needs massive improvement to be any hope of a place without finishing in the money since a second in the Summer Cup last year. Not one that will be in our tips.

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#13 – Saint Encosta (Barrier – 15) (53.5kgs)

• Trainer: John P Thompson
• Jockey: Jim Cassidy
• Career Stats: 20s – 2w – 4p
• Last Start: 13th at Randwick

First on the Encosta’s but unfortunately worst of the Encosta’s. Won three starts back but the field was much lesser grade and he won’t feature here.

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#14 – Solid Billing (Barrier – 5) (53.5kgs)

• Trainer: Craig Ritchie
• Jockey: Cameron Lammas
• Career Stats: 39s – 7w – 8p
• Last Start: 10th at Rosehill

Been running in New Zealand and his only success was in a $30,000 handicap. Does have a victory over 3200m but he won’t be making it a second in the Sydney Cup.

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#15 – Count Encosta (Barrier – 8) (53.5kgs)

• Trainer: John P Thompson
• Jockey: Jim Byrne
• Career Stats: 19s – 3w – 1p
• Last Start: 4th at Randwick

Without a win for ages but showed glimpses of promise last start. Ran home arguably the best of them for fourth in the Chairman’s Stakes so could be a rough chance at big odds.

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#16 – Montahlia (Barrier – 13) (n/a)

• Trainer: Michael Kent
• Jockey: Christian Reith
• Career Stats: 26s – 6w – 7p
• Last Start: 2nd at Moonee Valley

A win in Werribee is her best result this year but that’s not good enough against this field. She’ll run mid-pack at best.

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#17 – Stand To Gain (Barrier – 4) (n/a) *Emergency*

• Trainer: Chris Waller
• Jockey: n/a
• Career Stats: 21s – 4w – 6p
• Last Start: 10th at Randwick

Ireland and New Zealand are the best represented with four apiece while the UK has two and France one.

They are some of the best chances in the event as well with the likes of Hawk Island and Mourayan from Ireland well and truly entrenched at the top of the Luxbet betting market.

The best local hope looks to have fallen to Gai Waterhouse on her quest to find her first Melbourne Cup winner.

Once Were Wild drew worst of the lot in gate 17 but should still be a contender, especially if the stable stick with their aggressive ‘catch me if you can’ tactics which have worked so well previously.

Waterhouse has another chance in the race as well with Older Than Time an $18 chance with Luxbet.

Older Than Time won four in a row this preparation before suffering his first defeat when fourth last start.

The 3200m is the big test for a lot of these runners though with not a lot of experience at the trek across the field.

A predicted dead or slow track at Randwick will only add to the difficulty of the trip meaning the gutsiest horses will be at the front of the field.

Hawk Island is top weight with 57kg but connections are super confident after he easily lugged 61kg to victory last Saturday across a Heavy 10 Randwick surface.

2011 Sydney Cup Final Field

The Sydney Cup is still run over the full 3200m distance making it one of the favourites with punters and giving a sneak peak at a couple of the runners who will no doubt line up in the Melbourne Cup later in the year.

With that in mind there are a few former Melbourne Cup runners at the top of the nominations including the top weight Descarado.

The Gai Waterhouse trained runner won the Caulfield Cup last year and has recorded two second placings at Group 1 weight-for-age level since then including a narrow loss to Zavite last start.

That was the first race Zavite has won in a long time and he’s finished well out of the placings in the Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup as well as last year’s Sydney Cup.

Still, Zavite is the second highest rated runner and will 57.5kgs to carry in the 2011 Sydney Cup.

The mare with the heaviest weight is another Gai Waterhouse trained runner Once Were Wild.

She’s equal fourth on the order of entry and has a modest enough 52.5kg weight.

In terms of overseas runners the Irish and British bred Hawk Island and Illustrious Blue have 54.5kgs whilst the New Zealand import Showcause has 52kg after running second in the Group 1 Auckland Cup.

Make sure you stay tuned for further updates as the nominations are trimmed down to the final starting field mid-way through April.

Also remember future betting is available at Luxbet where you can get amazing odds with a long range punt on the 2011 Sydney Cup.

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2011 Sydney Cup Nominations

Being held as one of eight fantastic races due to jump, the 2010 Sydney Cup has seen 59 fantastic nominations, all at least three-years-old to compete for a share in the money.

The horses nominated seem set to build a fantastic line up for Saturday’s race with some of Australia’s most elite thoroughbreds entered.

Jessicabeel and Littorio are two horses certainly looking to succeed this Saturday.

Jessicabeel and Littorio are two horses certainly looking to succeed this Saturday.

Winner of the Group 2 Chairman’s Handicap (2600m) and the Group 1 The BMW (2400m) respectively, the two have shown their impressive form under race conditions similar to those on Saturday.

Trained by John O’Shea, Jessicabeel defeated fellow nominees for the 2010 Sydney Cup, No Wine No Song and Harris Tweed at the Chairman’s Handicap, who finished second and third respectively.

Whereas Littorio also beat fellow nominees Zavite and No Wine No Song in The BMW, who finished second and third respectively.

Also taking place on Saturday alongside the 2010 Sydney Cup will be the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m), the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m), the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) and the Group 2 Emancipation Stakes (1600m).

2010 Sydney Cup Nominations

Headlining the illustrious day will be the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) which will be offering the participants a substantial $400,000 in prize money.

Open to horse’s three-years-old and over, the handicap event will no doubt see a stella line up once again, on a highly anticipated day of racing on the Australian horse racing calendar.

One possible starter for the Sydney Cup is the Patrick Payne-trained Capecover. Having won the Group 2 Adelaide Cup (3200m) on the 8th of March, the gelding has proved himself over the Cup distance, and could well be a contender for the prestigious event.

One possible starter for the Sydney Cup is the Patrick Payne-trained Capecover.

Mick Price has also mentioned starting Inkster in the Sydney Cup on the illustrious Sydney Cup Day. The five-year-old recently finished fourth in the Victoria Gold Cup (2000m) and looks as though the longer distance would suit her perfectly.

Also taking place at the Royal Randwick Racecourse on the 24th of April will be the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m), the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m), the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) and the Group 1 Emancipation Stakes (1600m).