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Melbourne Cup 2015: What the Caulfield Cup means for the field

18th October, 2015
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Caulfield racing, baby! (AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)
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18th October, 2015
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The Caulfield Cup is always a key form reference for the race that stops a nation, but it’s been seven years since the last Melbourne Cup winner ran in it on their way through – Viewed in 2008.

Of course, not long before that in 2006, Delta Blues put the writing on the wall with a third place in the Caulfield Cup before memorably taking out the big one, and everyone can remember Makybe Diva putting in two magnificent Melbourne Cup trials on the way to her first two victories on the first Tuesday in November.

This year’s Caulfield Cup, won by Mongolian Khan, saw a number of horses stake their claim for Flemington in two weeks’ time.

Mongolian Khan was a worthy winner, given a winning ride by Opie Bosson, not having to spend a penny in the run. He was probably produced too soon to be in front rounding the home turn, which only added merit to his staying performance, being a sitting duck for the entire straight but out-toughing his rivals.

He’ll cop a weight penalty for the Melbourne Cup off the back of that run, but will still be hard to beat over 3200 metres, especially if he’s in a dog-fight at the clock tower.

Runner-up Trip To Paris was given a patient ride by Tommy Berry, cuddled away on fence near the tail of the field, and he only had to go around one horse, the failing Set Square, in his run to the line. He was grinding away at Mongolian Khan’s lead for the entire straight, but couldn’t quite get there.

Given his credentials are proven over 4000 metres, we already knew the Melbourne Cup trip wasn’t going to be a problem. Now we also know he has the turn of foot to be competitive on these shores, and the class to measure up. He’s going to be a major player.

Third place-getter Our Ivanhowe appreciated dropping down in weight into Saturday’s race, and can only have been further improved in what was only his third run this campaign. He didn’t have the class to go with Mongolian Khan in the straight after having a good run, and has never run over a two-mile trip before.

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I’ll have others ahead of him in my Melbourne Cup selections, but he’s a solid top six or eight hope.

Gust of Wind ran a lovely fourth, albeit beaten by 3.75 lengths, but had a dream run and every chance. She jumped brilliantly and Chad Schofield decided to take up a handy position in a race that didn’t look to have huge speed on paper. She might have a sharper finish if ridden a bit colder next time.

Snow Sky was the most heavily backed international in the days leading up to the Cup, and was a little disappointing in finishing fifth.

Jockey Damien Oliver had him handy as expected, but then had Set Square and Magnapal falling into his lap when everyone else was making their move at the business end, and that was his race done. He simply didn’t have the sprint once he was in the clear, but still worked soundly to the line.

Snow Sky looks like a horse that needs to have the race run on his own terms if he’s going to be a winning chance.

Zac Purton was still sitting quietly on Japanese gun Fame Game, happy for him to be shuffled back to last, when Mongolian Khan hit the lead 350 metres from home. Those with suspicious minds were left to surmise that connections only had winning one race in mind for the horse… and it wasn’t the Caulfield Cup.

Fame Game savaged the line once clear, in a run that no-one missed, and was immediately installed as Melbourne Cup favourite off the back of it. Given the class of horse he is, and that he’s only going to be stronger over longer, it makes absolute sense.

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The favourite won the Caulfield Cup, and there’s every chance the same will happen in the Melbourne Cup.

Who Shot Thebarman in seventh was another eye-catcher, making a long, wide sustained run from about the 600 metres, and not once shirking his task in the straight. He doesn’t really get around the home turn at Caulfield either, and appreciates Flemington as we know.

He ran third in the Melbourne Cup last year, and is going better this time around. He’s as tough and hardy as they come, but is he ever going to be quite good enough to beat them all at this level? A lock for a top six finish in the big one.

Hauraki looked like he was going to move into the race early in the straight, but only plugged away fairly to the line. Supporters were entitled to think he could have finished a couple of lengths closer given the run he had. It was a run that didn’t exactly scream 3200 metres, and he’s unlikely to be a threat.

None of the others did enough to recommend them as winning or place hopes if they head to the Melbourne Cup.

I think the Caulfield Cup form is going to prove a strong reference to the Melbourne Cup this year, and we can expect a few from the race to be in the first handful of horses home on the day.

At this point in time, if I had to pick the three best chances from what we saw on Saturday, you’d have to go with Fame Game, Trip to Paris and Who Shot Thebarman.

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We’re still going to have a heap of different formlines heading in though, with the Geelong Cup to be run this week, the Cox Plate and Preferment not to be underestimated, several internationals to run sight unseen here, as well as the Lloyd Williams horse Amralah.

But did we see the Melbourne Cup winner run on Saturday? I reckon yes. What do you think?

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