Stayer up for scrap
O’Brien team back Johannes Vermeer to handle big field
THE Aidan O’Brien team have dismissed fears Johannes Vermeer will be intimidated by the hustle and bustle of the Caulfield Cup on Saturday as the race favourite encounters the largest field of his short career.
Johannes Vermeer, who faces 16 rivals in what is traditionally a torrid Group 1, has never raced in a field larger than 11.
Asked if the multiple Group winner would be spooked in a cluttered field, O’Brien’s assistant TJ Comerford said: “Not at all because he’s actually quick away from the barrier.
“You saw how quick away he was the other day (in the Caulfield Stakes).
“He can just slot in wherever he wants after that.”
To be ridden by Ben Melham, the Ireland-trained stayer has drawn barrier two.
Only two winners in the past 21 years have jumped from that gate – Arctic Scent in 1996 and Tawqeet in 2006.
Five of the past eight winners have emerged from double-digit alleys.
Johannes Vermeer and The Taj Mahal strode on the fibre track at Werribee yesterday as the O’Brien camp confirmed it had not abandoned Cox Plate ambitions with The Taj Mahal despite the import’s dismal Australian debut.
Notoriously lazy, The Taj Mahal finished 10th – beaten eight lengths – behind Gailo Chop in the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) on Saturday.
But Comerford has not lost faith.
“He probably needed that just to wake him up because he is a good horse and there’s better to come from (The) Taj Mahal,” he said.
“I don’t doubt that he’ll improve. I think the Cox Plate is a big option for him because we can change a few things around with him for next time.
“I have to see what Aidan and what (owner) Lloyd (Williams) thinks but I do think that would be an option.”
Comerford indicated that reapplying blinkers could be the trigger for a sharp lift.
The Taj Mahal wore the gear when second in the Group 1 Secretariat Stakes in the US in August.
“We might try blinkers on him next time because when he ran at Belmont he had blinkers on,” Comerford said
“We didn’t put them on in Leopardstown and it looked like he ran OK in Leopardstown but I think we might have to revert to putting blinkers on again.”
The O’Brien-trained Adelaide won the 2014 Secretariat Stakes before claiming the Cox Plate.