Boom Town won the 2017 Caulfield Cup from Single Gaze in second and favourite Johannes Vermeer in third.
Johannes Vermeer is the widely-tipped favourite for the 2400m Caulfield Cup – but, in one of the toughest staying races in the world, it’s anyone’s title. Join The Roar for a live blog from 4:30pm AEDT.
In a race dominated by imports, history suggests that the Irish horse Johannes Vermeer is better than a good chance at taking this years edition of the Caulfield Cup out.
The stayer was super impressive last start at the Caulfield Stakes where she ran second from nowhere.
Her previously unheralded turn of speed will have many punters excited. That combined with Admire Deus’ scratching should do her chances no harm. $4.50 fixed on the TAB at the time of writing is very healthy.
However, the other 16 horses in the field will have something to say about it. Darren Weir has two good chances in Humidor and Amelie’s Star, both paying around $10 to salute. Damien Lane rides the former, and her recent form is strong.
Bonneval and Harlem are two others with decent claims. Kerrin McEvoy rides Bonneval, and his immense experience on board with stayers should help in a busy field.
So… who wins?
It’s very tough to pick a winner here. Johannes Vermeer looks to be the quickest in the straight, but her lack of racing in the past six months worries me.
It is tough to bet against a strong import, though. Darren Weir’s two horses look superb coming into this race, and Humidor in particular has been peaking just at the right time.
Whether or not her turn of speed is good enough to salute remains to be seen – but it will be very close.
My picks
1st – Humidor
2nd – Johannes Vermeer
3rd – Amelie’s Star
4th – Bonneval
Join The Roar for a live blog of the race, starting from 4:30pm AEDT.
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