The time-honoured Geelong Cup 2022 takes place on Wednesday as an important lead-up to the Group 1 $7.75 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) and Interpretation from the Maher/Eustace stable is narrow favourite in an open market.

Surefire is one of the best-fancied 2022 Geelong Cup hopefuls this Wednesday. Photo: Steve Hart.

Set to run as Geelong Race 8 at 4:00pm (AEDT) at the mid-week Victorian meet, this season’s Group 3 $500,000 Geelong Cup (2400m) features a capacity field including first emergency Team Captain coming in for the early scratching, Francesco Guardi.

The latest Geelong Cup betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au have five-year-old Galileo entire Interpretation on top at $4.20 following a good gate four draw.

Jockey Ben Melham comes aboard the European import who has his fourth run down under in the Geelong Cup.

Last start the horse caught the eye when a length back third in the Group 3 The Bart Cummings (2510m) and he looks a solid chance to improve on that here and move up the 2022 Melbourne Cup order of entry currently sitting number 32 on the ballot.

He is rated a $26 shot in pre-field Melbourne Cup markets.

The early Geelong Cup betting market mover and close second elect now into $5.50 is the Chris Waller-trained Surefire in gate six for champion hoop James McDonald who won this race back in 2015 aboard Almoonqith.

Fastnet Rock five-year-old Surefire has his 13^th start on Wednesday and is after his sixth success, the galloper out to atone for a luckless 11^th in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington last time out when getting too far back to feature in the finish.

The next best fancied in the Geelong Cup odds are the David Simcock-trained international raider Rodrigo Diaz ($6) the Ben & JD Hayes-trained Makram ($6.50) drawn wide in barriers 17 and 18 respectively.

The Melbourne Cup-bound Rodrigo Diaz makes his Australian race debut on Geelong Cup Day for Australian Bloodstock and he brings him some consistent form having finished in the money in 10 of his 17 starts.

He was disappointing in his latest however and whether the races he has been performing in rate as highly as the Australian form his rivals bring into the race on Wednesday is questionable.

Markam and jockey Craig Williams, who has a terrific record in this race, combined last time out a fortnight back at Caulfield when second in the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) and go around again here as a genuine chance.

Of the double-figure fancies after an upset those considered most likely include the Kris Lees-trained Luncies ($10) who was making up ground late for his eye-catching Turnbull Stakes sixth behind Smokin’ Romans last time out, Emissary ($15) chasing his first top three run over the distance and the second emergency Herman Hesse ($13) still sweating on a start.

History shows Media Puzzle (2002), Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011) are the latest horses to complete the Geelong Cup – Melbourne Cup double.

Click here for the all-in Melbourne Cup odds on the Geelong Cup runners before markets firm post-race.

Click here for the latest Geelong Cup odds on the final field, courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2022 Geelong Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.