THE $3 MILLION CAULFIELD CUP - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

HISTORY: First run in 1879 when won by Newminster, the Caulfield Cup is a 2400m handicap and 18 years younger than the Melbourne Cup.

* From 1879 to 1881 run in the autumn. Two Cups were run in 1881 with Blue Ribbon winning in the autumn and Master Avenal in the spring.

* The first $1 million Cup was in 1996 when Arctic Scent was successful.

NOTABLE WINNERS: Oakleigh (1887), Poseidon (1906, 1907), Amounis (1930), Rogilla (1932), The Trump (1937), Skipton (1943), Rising Fast (1954, 1955), Redcraze (1956), Tulloch (1957), Even Stevens (1962), Galilee (1966), Tobin Bronze (1967), Ming Dynasty (1977, 1980), Gurner's Lane (1982), Let's Elope (1991), Doriemus (1995), Might And Power (1997), Ethereal (2001), Northerly (2002), Elvstroem (2004), Viewed (2009) and Dunaden (2012).

TALKING POINTS:

* Horses to complete the Caulfield-Melbourne Cups double in the same year are Poseidon (1906), The Trump (1937), Rivette (1939), Rising Fast (1954), Even Stevens (1962), Galilee (1966), Gurner's Lane (1982), Let's Elope (1991), Doriemus (1995), Might And Power (1997) and Ethereal (2001).

* Dual Caulfield Cup winners: Ming Dynasty (1977, 1980), Rising Fast (1954-55), Whittier (1922, 1925), Uncle Sam (1912, 1914,) Poseidon (1906-07), Hymettus (1898, 1901) and Paris (1892, 1894).

* Bart Cummings holds the Caulfield Cup record of seven wins with Galilee (1966), Big Philou (1969), Leilani (1974), Ming Dynasty (1977, 1980), Let's Elope (1991) and Viewed (2009).

* Shortest-priced winner: Tulloch (4-6 in 1957).

* Shortest-priced loser: Tobin Bronze (8-11 when sixth to Galilee in 1966)

* Longest-priced winner: Saint Warden (100-1 in 1943).

* The 2013 winner Fawkner gave leviathan owner Lloyd Williams his first Caulfield Cup

* European-trained horses have competed since 1998 with three winners - Taufan's Melody (1998), All the Good (2008) and Dunaden who won a year after he took the Melbourne Cup.

* The 1992 Cup remains one of the most controversial with Shane Dye steering favourite Veandercross wide on the home turn to get better ground. The NZ horse failed by a short half head to reel in Mannerism but Dye remains adamant he made the right decision.

THE FAVOURITE

* The favourite Lucia Valentina's pattern is to race in the second half of the field and make her run in the straight as she did in the Turnbull Stakes. Trained by Kris Lees, Lucia Valentina has been well supported since she won the Turnbull Stakes and been backed again following the withdrawals of Bande, Dandino and Gris Caro.

THE TRACK:

* The track has a triangular shaped layout and a circumference of 2080 metres. The 2400m start is in the home straight.

RACE PATTERN:

* The forced withdrawal of Japanese horse Bande due to injury has had many experts scrambling to redo their speed maps. Most thought Bande would be the leader and without him tactics need to be reassessed. Jockey Craig Williams, who rides outsider Araldo after his original mount Dandino was scratched, has won two Caulfield Cups and was second in 2013. He says it is one of the most tactical races to ride in with a frantic jostling for positions in the run to the first turn. Jockeys must then decide when to make their next moves - the back straight or the home turn.