A capacity line-up of stayers faces off in The Metropolitan 2024 in Sydney on Saturday, and it is a wide-open playing field of potential Caulfield Cup types according to the markets.

The bookies are having a hard time separating the best from the rest in this year’s bumper Group 1 $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m) field with the handicap running as one of three elite levels at Randwick on Epsom Handicap Day.

Current The Metropolitan betting markets online at Ladbrokes.com.au have the first emergency, Unusual Legacy, as the $6.50 favourite relying on an early withdrawal from the starting line-up to run.

Master Sydney horseman Chris Waller has won The Metropolitan five times, most recently in 2022 with No Compromise, and has eight final acceptors for the spring staying showdown this weekend including Unusual Legacy.

Apprentice Wiremu Pinn is on standby for the ride aboard the well-supported Unusual Suspect five-year-old who will start from gate four if he makes the cut.

The progressive and lightly raced galloper rises notably in grade currently untested in Black-Type company but was strong last start in a Benchmark 88 at Rosehill over 1900m when beaten a short half-head by Firestorm with 58kg.

He drops right back to the 50kg minimum in The Metrop weights making him a genuine contender in the Group 1.

Waller’s other runners in The Metroplitan 2024 field are Group 1 winner El Bodegon ($67) at a roughie’s price to return to form, Group 3 placegetter Strathtay ($27), second emergency Matusalem ($21), dual acceptor Manzoice ($16) also in the mix for Flemington’s Group 3 The Bart Cummings on Saturday, last start Newcastle Gold Cup winner Etna Rosso ($9.50), last weekend’s Group 3 Colin Stephen winner
First Light ($9) chasing the double on successive Saturdays, and Land Legend ($7.50) racing third-up.

French-bred Galileo gelding, Land Legend, is second favourite at time of publish drawn well in gate five for Reece Jones on 51kg.

The five-year-old import won the $500,000 St. Leger in style in his Australian race debut here last October but has failed to finish in the money in his two runs since.

Last time out he crossed sixth to Eliyass in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) with connections confident he’ll improve up in trip now and down in the weights.

The other standouts in the markets at single figure The Metropolitan odds include the Ciaron Maher-trained Future History ($8.50) and his in-form stablemate Berkshire Breeze ($8).

Future History jumps from barrier three on just 51.5kg in his second Group 1 performance following a 15th to Without A Fight in last year’s Melbourne Cup.

His two runs this time in have been solid including a narrow loss last start at Caulfield in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) beaten by the barest of margins by Positivity.

Berkshire Breeze is also racing well ahead of Saturday’s test with the Irish-bred grey racing over his pet distance (5:2-2-0) off a close third to Point King in Flemington’s Group 3 Lexus Archer Stakes (2500m) run in the wet.

The 2024 The Metropolitan is set to run as Randwick Race 8 at 4:10pm (AEST).

Click here for the full markets from Ladbrokes.com.au.

2024 The Metropolitan Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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