Barrier 3 boon for inform Irish stayer
MELBOURNE: A Caulfield Cup blueprint established in defeat 12 months ago will be used in Irish training maestro Aidan O’Brien’s bid to win the $A5 million race for the first time.
O’Brien came close to landing the first leg of Australia’s famous cups double last year when Johannes Vermeer ran third to outsider Boom Time.
That placing followed the stayer’s eyecatching Australian debut at weightforage seven days earlier, when runnerup in the Caulfield Stakes.
The Ballydoyle trainer has put The Cliffsofmoher on an identical path, with last year’s English Derby placegetter making late ground in last week’s Caulfield Stakes.
Caulfield Cup bookmakers saw enough merit in the fourth placing to elevate The Cliffsof moher to the third line betting at $7 behind Kings Will Dream ($5) and Youngstar ($6).
And O’Brien’s righthand man, TJ Comerford, is confident The Cliffsofmoher has the credentials to win, saying the entire emerged from the Caulfield Stakes in a similar manner to Johannes Vermeer.
‘‘I don’t know if he’ll win, but I would say he will go close,’’ Comerford said.
‘‘He has come out of the race well and he is showing all the signs every day that he has freshened up as well.’’
Comerford is delighted with barrier 3 for The Cliffsofmoher, saying the inside stall will allow Hugh Bowman to ride the stayer wherever he wants.
‘‘At least from that barrier he will be able to save a bit of ground.’’
O’Brien has been one of the preeminent trainers in world racing and led in a record 28 group 1 winners in 2017. However, his success in Australian group 1 races has been limited to Adelaide’s victory in the 2014 Cox Plate.
Comerford said going into the race with the third betting pick took some of the pressure off the allconquering stable.
‘‘I suppose we are not expected to win, we are expected to run well, so if we win it’s a bonus,’’ he said.
‘‘But, overall, I’m more confident than last year.’’
Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor has been travelling to Melbourne for 20 years and is chasing a second Caulfield Cup, having won with All The Good a decade ago.
He said Best Solution ($A15) compared favourably with his 2008 winner.
‘‘All The Good was a nice horse. This one, his form is very good, too. He’s a proven horse and we thought he was the right horse to send here, as he’s twice a group 1 winner.
‘‘He’s a strong horse, a class horse and I’m happy with him.’’
Best Solution was likely to push forward from his wide barrier to take up a position in the leading division, he said. — AAP