Every man and his dog likes Jameka
JAMEKA will run a clear favourite in today’s Caulfield Cup as doubt intensified over the fitness of last year’s Victoria Derby winner Tarzino.
The Cup field could jump at 3.30pm at less than capacity with Tarzino having to pass a vet inspection this morning before being allowed to run in the $3 million classic.
Stewards revealed late yesterday the four-year-old was found to have “swelling in the left front”, leaving the $26 chance in doubt.
Champion jockey Damien Oliver yesterday lost his appeal against a 20-meeting ban for reckless riding – he plans to appeal further but is permitted to ride Lee Freedman’s Exospheric in the big race today.
Tarzino has not finished any closer than sixth this campaign, with his last-start effort in the Turnbull Stakes disappointing trainer Mick Price after the horse seemed to labour on the hard track.
Second emergency Vengeur Masque yesterday gained a run when Big Memory was scratched due to a hock issue.
There are no more emergencies, so if Tarzino is scratched, just 17 horses will start. Capacity is 18.
The Ciaron Maher-trained Jameka won the VRC Oaks last year and has had a near faultless preparation.
Jameka ($3.70) and $8 second elect Real Love, both locals, are the best-backed runners with UBET for the Group 1 feature, with the latter firming from $9 under a “small mountain” of money.
“They were quiet on the favourite initially, but there has been a big push for her in the past 24 hours at $3.80, while the Weir runner, Real Love, has been in the money from the get-go and is the only real firmer in the race,” UBET’s Gerard Daffy said.
“At this stage, they’re trusting what they’ve seen with their own eyes and edging around the internationals, even though the likes Admire Ratki, Dunaden, All The Good and Taufans Melody all en- tered the Cup without a run in Australia and went on to win.”
Another raider Sir Isaac Newton will stay in Australia following his spring campaign after Lloyd Williams secured the Irish Caulfield Cup hope.
A $7 million purchase as a yearling, Sir Isaac Newton ($11) will carry Williams’s navy and white colours.
A huge admirer of Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien, Williams has bought a string of horses out of his Ballydoyle stables over the years, none more famous than this year’s Ascot Gold Cup winner Order Of St George.
His latest O’Brien purchase – which he will race with his wife, Susie, and son, Nick, in partnership with Sue Magnier and Michael Tabor – again impressed in trackwork at Werribee yesterday.
While Freedman has Exospheric in the race, he said his other runner Our Ivanhowe was a “huge chance”.
The former import, who ran third in last year’s Caulfield Cup, is a $23 chance for the race after a lacklustre performance in the Turnbull Stakes last start.
However, Freedman was confident Our Ivanhowe would put in a much better performance in today.
“Huge chance,” Freedman said of Our Ivanhowe’s hopes.
“I think he has been a forgotten horse because of his flat run in the Turnbull. But I think there’s reasons for that.”