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FEATURE PREVIEW: CAULFIELD CUP

CAULFIELD CUP OVERVIEW

Rail: 3m

Current Track Conditions: GOOD 4

Predicted Track Conditions: GOOD 4

No rain forecast so expected to be a firm surface on Saturday.

The richest 2400m turf handicap in the world. Imports have a great record in this race including Dunaden, Admire Rakti, Best Solution & Mer De Glace in the past 12 years. Good local winners have included Incentivise, Verry Elleegant & Jameka.

CAULFIELD CUP HISTORICAL PROFILING (LAST 12 YEARS)

  • 1st up – 4 winners, 3rd up – 1 winner, 4th up – 3 winners, 5th up – 2 winners, 6th up – 2 winners
  • 7 Day break – 2 winners, 13-14 day break – 6 winners, 48-91 day break – 3 winners, 167 day break – 1 winner
  • Mix of winning weights from 51.5kg to 58kg
  • Even mix of on pacers and backmarkers
  • 4-5YO Mare – 3 winners, 4-7YO Entire – 6 winners, 5-7YO Gelding – 3 winners
  • 4 imports have won – 2 from Europe, 2 from Japan. They have all been at odds between $8-$14. They’ve also run 3 2nds and 5 3rds, making up 12 of the 36 1st 3 home
  • Locally trained horses generally need to be 4th up, 5th up or 6th up. European/overseas style trained horses can be 1st up/2nd up

CAULFIELD CUP SPEED MAP

Quick tempo expected here with Goldman, Spirit Ridge and Breakup pushing forward.

Right You Are, Hoo Ya Mal and United Nations map on speed.

West Wind Blows, Bois Dargent, Without A Fight, Nonconformist, Valient King & Okita Soushi from the wide gate can all potentially settle forward of midfield.

Montefilia, Franceso Guardi, Emissary, Duke De Sessa settle worse than midfield.

Gold Trip, Fame & Soulcombe out the back.

CAULFIELD CUP KEY RUNNERS

  1. Gold Trip – 2nd beaten a neck in this race last year, before winning the Melbourne Cup. Was super impressive winning the G1 Turnbull last start. Going very well though carries 1kg more than last year here, on a firm track.
  2. Without A Fight – Was impressive winning a G3 and G2 in Queensland in two runs for the prep. Flew home first up for 6th in the Underwood beaten 2.25L +11.3 the quickest last 800m of the day. Races best with few runs and races spaced, but it’s an uncommon prep for a local horse to have to win this race.
  3. Breakup – Consistent Japanese entire with 5 wins and 7 placings from 21 starts. Drawn well with D Lane aboard and races on speed. G2 winner over 2500m and has run a G1 4th in Japan. The Japanese stayers are panels above ours, and the rest of the world. The last time the Japanese came to the Melbourne Spring Carnival was in 2019 when Mer De Glace won the Caulfield Cup and Lys Gracieux won the Cox Plate. The likes of Delta Blues, Pop Rock and Admire Rakti have also dominated Australian staying G1 races. Breakup holds similar formlines and ratings. The one to beat.
  4. Montefilia – Flew home to win the Hill Stakes last start. Has run 4th in this race twice.
  5. West Wind Blows – 4yo gelding trained by Simon Crisford. Has raced in the UK & France. 13 starts for 5 wins (between 2000m-2227m) and 6 placings. Form this prep has been exceptional. Won over 2000m at Longchamp at G3 level by 1.8L. Then 2nd at Ascot over 2414m at G2 level in the Hardwicke Stakes to Pyledriver, beating home Changingoftheguard and last year’s Melbourne Cup favourite Deauville Legend. Ran 3rd in the G1 Coral Eclipse at Sandown carrying topweight to topliner Paddington, beating home Queen Elizabeth winner Dubai Honour. Ran 2nd next start beaten a nose again with the top weight. Ran 2nd in the Turnbull after an average ride. Jamie Spencer does not have a good record here which is the negative.
  6. Soulcombe – Has been excellent in all three runs this prep. Has been targeted for this. Is the best of the locals.
  7. Duke De Sessa – Was heavily backed in the Doncaster last prep and only beaten 3.5L. Was ok first up in the Memsie. Then hit the line well in the Turnbull. Has been set for this race. Wet track would have been preferred.
  8. Hoo Ya Mal – Gai’s horses are flying, and he was only run down late in the Hill Stakes. Step up in trip suits. Will be in it a long way.
  9. Okita Soushi – Consistent type trained by J O’Brien. 12 starts for 4 wins and 5 placings and won two starts back under Ryan Moore over 2414m before 3rd in the Irish St Leger trial.

18. Valiant King – Northern Hemisphere 3yo trained by J O’Brien who ran 2nd two starts back in the Ballyroan Stakes to Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban.

TOP 5 SELECTIONS

3 – Breakup
6 – West Wind Blows
14 – Okita Soushi
18 – Valiant King
8 – Soulcombe

 

SUMMARY

Breakup brings the strong Japanese form and rates clearly on top here.

West Wind Blows, Okita Soushi, Valiant King, Soulcombe, Gold Trip, Without A Fight, Duke De Sessa, Montefilia and Hoo Ya Mal are all legitimate winning chances.

BETTING STRATEGY

BACK: #3 Breakup (WIN) for 1.8 units

BACK: #6 West Wind Blows (WIN) for 0.6 units

BACK: #14 Okita Soushi (WIN) for 0.3 units

BACK: #18 Valiant King (WIN) for 0.3 units

DEAN EVANS’ RESULTS

Units Outlayed: 454.9

Units Returned: 469.4

Profit On Turnover: 3.2%

 

G1 Big Priced Winners (Betfair SP Price)

2023 Australian Derby: Major Beel $53.63

2020 Empire Rose Stakes: Shout The Bar $32.60

2020 Melbourne Cup: Twilight Payment $28.26

2022 Blue Diamond Stakes: Daumier $23

2022 William Reid Stakes: September Run $19.50

2021 Randwick Guineas: Lion’s Roar $18.95

2021 Coolmore Classic: Krone $15.50

2022 Australasian Oaks: Glint Of Hope $13.55

2023 TJ Smith Stakes: I Wish I Win $12.80

2023 Lightning Stakes: Coolangatta $12.69

2020 Metropolitan Handicap: Mirage Dancer $11.18

2022 Surround Stakes: Hinged $11.00

2020 Manikato Stakes: Hey Doc $10.32

2023 Blue Diamond Stakes: Little Brose $10.24

SUMMARY

The Caulfield Cup, one of the four crown jewels of Australian racing, is run at Caulfield each October. It is the climax of the Caulfield Cup Carnival, with three meetings spread across the week starting with Caulfield Guineas Day. First run in 1879, the Caulfield Cup is now worth $5 million in prizemoney and, as such, is the world’s richest mile-and-a-half handicap race. Some of the greats of Australasian racing have won the race, including Let’s Elope (1991), Doriemus (1995), Might and Power (1997), Northerly (2002) and, in more recent years, Verry Elleegant (2020). 

Since British trainer Lady Herries saddled Taufan’s Melody to victory in 1998, a further five overseas horses have won the Caulfield Cup: All the Good (2008), Dunaden (2012), Admire Rakti (2014), Best Solution (2018) and Mer De Glace (2019). With several international trainers now targeting the Caulfield Cup, smart punters rely on our form experts to provide their Caulfield Cup tips on the Betfair Hub.          

FAST FACTS

  • A total of 11 horses in history have achieved the Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double in the same year. They are: Poseidon (1906), The Trump (1937), Rivette (1939), Rising Fast (1954), Even Stevens (1962), Galilee (1966), Gurners Lane (1982), Let’s Elope (1991), Doriemus (1995), Might and Power (1997) and Ethereal (2001).
  • The Caulfield Cup was awarded Group 1 status in 1979, when Mighty Kingdom won the race.   
  • Scobie Breasley is the most successful jockey in Caulfield Cup history, winning the race on five occasions. Legendary trainer Bart Cummings won seven Caulfield Cups in his career, between 1966 (Galilee) and Viewed (2009).   
  • Topweights have an impressive recent record in the Caulfield Cup, with Best Solution – who shouldered 57.5kg in 2018 – joining Admire Rakti (58kg), Viewed (57kg), Northerly (58kg) and Sky Heights (56.5kg) as the horses to carry the top weight to victory in their respective years.  

 

With 18 starters lining up on a notoriously quirky course, the race can be a very tricky betting proposition which is why the smart money is on the Betfair tipsters to deliver their Caulfield Cup predictions. Barriers can also play a big part, with horses drawn wide often struggling to win – the joint most successful barriers in Caulfield Cup history (producing eight winners apiece) are gates seven and nine. With the insight provided by Betfair’s form analysts on our Caulfield Cup tips page, you can bet with more confidence.        

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