Godolphin supply Cup Best Solution
Godolphin stable’s Best Solution won the $5 million Caulfield Cup in a photo finish ahead of Americanbred Homesman, with former Epsom Derby runner-up The Cliffsofmoher finishing third yesterday in the world’s richest 2,400-metre race.
Ridden by Pat Cosgrave, who became the second Northern Irishman to win the race, Best Solution recovered from a bad start to follow Taj Mahal at 600 meters to go and hold on for the Group One win.
The victory gives trainer Saeed bin Suroor and Godolphin their second Caulfield Cup after All The Good won in 2008.
Cosgrave said: “I had a bad trip around, Saeed was adamant we need to be forward and handy. I had to work so hard to get to where I was. An unbelievable performance. ”
Pre-race favorite Kings Will Dream had a bad start to drop a couple of lengths and never recovered, finishing sixth after being caught in traffic.
The Caulfield Cup is often used by overseas horses as a first Australian race ahead of the 3,200-meter Melbourne Cup, Australia’s most prestigious race which will be held on November 6 at Flemington in Melbourne.
Cosgrave said it was an incredible performance and it would allow the stable to dream of Cup glory on the first Tuesday on November.
“I think anything its possible after today, we should have got beat,” he said.
“We had a bad trip and everything went wrong for me but it was a great day.”
The Caulfield Cup is a handicap race for three-year-olds and older over 2400m with Best Solution’s connections taking home a huge prize of $3 million, while the 10th place getter will still get $120,000.
The betting had Kings Will Dream in favouritism just ahead of Youngstar and The Cliffsofmoher. The win by Best Solution, who carried top weight of 57.5kg, also made it back-to-back Group 1 wins for bin Suroor and jockey Cosgrave, who last week took the Caulfield Stakes in spectacular fashion aboard Benbatl.