Pre-race

Horses mill around behind the stalls at the 2400-metre mark in front of a heaving Caulfield crowd. This is unusual as most races start well away from the masses. Keeping the horse relaxed, and thereby not wasting energy by sweating up, is paramount. For the jockeys, keeping their minds relaxed is crucial.

"Every one of them will be looking forward to the race, but a lot of them won't be sleeping the night before," Johnston says. "They'll be thinking about the race over and over and over again."

The start and first 400m

Horses that draw wide – the likes of Rising Romance, The Offer and Big Memory among the favoured runners in Saturday's race – need to quickly find a position. That means getting cover behind another runner and no more than two horses off the fence.

"The first thing you have to think about is getting in," Johnston says. "Kingston Town couldn't travel three and four wide around Caulfield over the mile-and-a-half and win, you've got to get in. It should be the only thing on their mind. If you draw out, you've got to go right back or right forward. Think you're going to be midfield with cover? Good luck with that. And sometimes the horses in the middle cop it."

Keep a close eye on James McDonald, Tommy Berry and Corey Brown, who will have to make really bold decisions soon  after the jump. "Getting down to that first corner ... there's not a jockey in that race, as good as they are, that won't have their heart in their mouth. It's a terrifying experience, but it's all about the first corner. No one wants to be three and four deep going around that corner, but someone is going to be."

The Caulfield Cup has a reputation as being kind to horses  on the speed. Johnston says this year's map is right up in the air with the scratching of Japanese raider Bande, widely considered the likely pacemaker. Expect Peter Moody's pair, Lidari and Brambles, to be in the firing line early. Others which could press forward include Big Memory, The Offer and Junoob from awkward draws, while Green Moon will be stalking the speed.

The first turn

Where the race is often won and lost. The first turn is a long and sweeping left-hander which can overly tax horses out wide and advantage those getting a cosy run. There won't be an inch given around here. "You have to do a mountain of work around this turn compared to other corners."

Towards the top turn

This is like working towards the point of the Caulfield triangle. There's a 400m run to the top turn, which is uphill round the bend, and a sharp mindis as crucial as a sharp turn of foot. "They're thinking, 'Am I happy with my spot or not'? If you're happy, just plant yourself. Then you have to start thinking about the variables. Who is around you? Who is following you? Who can I follow? Who is out wide? Is the horse comfortable? The thinking cap really needs to be on at this stage of the race. And you don't want to get near anything that is not travelling, otherwise you'll go back through the field at a rate of knots."

The side

The next part of the Caulfield triangle is a long 500m run that is a nice lead-in to the final turn. Some jockeys will start improving their position over this point when they consider how much time they have got to make their move without putting the foot to the floor.

"If you start pressing the button there a little early, you're in a bit of trouble. If you're travelling well here and decide to go forward, more often than not the thing on your back is going to peel out and knock you over."

This year's race is not likely to be run at any breakneck speed, harming the cause of the traditional swoopers. Many jockeys with their mounts in the second half of the field will need to be cranking up the pressure here.

The final turn

The last little bit of navigation before entering the straight. Johnston reckons you have to find clear running at this point of the race to allow your mount to accelerate on straightening.

"I rode a really good three-year-old in Mighty Kingdom and only had 47-and-a-half so pressed the button just a little before the turn. I sat outside the leader and the horse had no weight on his back and when I let him rock'n'roll he put five on them at the top of the straight."

The straight

There is plenty of time at Caulfield to find clear running in a straight that is nearly 400m. It could be advantageous to navigate away from the rail near the end of three meetings in a week on this track. "The race will be won in the straight by the best ride and you'll quickly find that out in the straight. You go back over the last 20 years and look at each race, nine times out of 10 the best ride has won."