Calvin McEvoy has declared short-priced favourite Half Yours ready to eat up the pressure in the $5 million Caulfield Cup as he eyes the biggest win of his young training career.
Jamie Melham rides highly-fancied Half Yours in Saturday's 2400m Group 1 test for McEvoy, with Ciaron Maher's Royal Supremacy ($9) and UK raider Meydaan ($9) among the leading contenders.
Maher, who won the showpiece with Duke De Sessa last year and Jameka in 2016, also saddles up Middle Earth ($13) and Zardozi ($23) in Saturday's three-pronged attack.
Mark Zahra and Harry Coffey - the past two Caulfield Cup-winning jockeys - will ride Middle Earth and Zardozi respectively.
McEvoy, who trains in partnership with his father Tony, expects Half Yours to settle early under Melham from barrier two and save his energy for the final quarter.
"These are high-pressure contests and we've watched replays and the pressure comes on a long way out," McEvoy said.
"Drawing inside with a horse that can hold his spot, it's going to mean that he can get a restful first half of the race, which I think is so important.
"We know he can absorb pressure and we couldn't be more happy with the barrier."
Half Yours won the Caloundra Cup in July over the same distance as the Caulfield Cup and secured a ballot exemption by winning the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes last month.
A last-start fourth in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington a fortnight ago caught the eye and further boosted the five-year-old gelding's credentials.
"His fitness has been good," McEvoy said.
"He's been up and racing a long time and it's been well noted that he might be one of the fittest horses in the race with how many miles he's got in his legs.
"Everyone's up and about - the whole team. We're just excited to have an opportunity to be competing in a race like this with a live chance."
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are eyeing Melbourne Cup glory with Vauban next month but would be more than happy to claim the Caulfield Cup along the way with the $11 fancy.
"It's a thoroughfare but a very serious thoroughfare," said Waterhouse, who won with Descarado in 2010.
"We'd like to win the Caulfield Cup. It's a few years since Descarado did it - that goes back in almost ancient history."
Topweight Vauban (58.5kg) will jump from barrier 13, which Waterhouse said means "not much, except that we can win it".
"You're out of harm's way and it means you've got to do a few more kilometres, which will suit Vauban," Waterhouse said.
Former Willie Mullins-trained stayer Vauban's ex-stablemate Absurde ($26) will have to defy history from barrier one for the legendary Irish horseman.
No horse has won the race from the inside gate since barrier stalls were introduced at Caulfield in 1947.
Master trainer Chris Waller is chasing his third Caulfield Cup victory with four gallopers - Birdman ($17), Valiant King ($23), Land Legend ($31) and River Of Stars ($71) - in the capacity field of 18.
Caulfield hosts two Group 1 contests on Saturday, with star filly Apocalyptic the clear favourite for the Thousand Guineas (1600m) under Zahra, who has been runner-up in the classic four times.