Big push begins for a spot in the Cup
THE Caulfield Cup’s annual logjam is shaping as a Geelong Cup bonanza, with a string of trainers forced to consider feature country cups as pathways to the Melbourne Cup.
With a limit of 18 runners in Saturday’s $5 million Caulfield Cup, several internationals are on or beyond the borderline.
Racing Victoria’s Paul Bloodworth said the scramble for places for the Caulfield Cup – and also a now desperate need to climb the order of entry for the Melbourne Cup – had at least three leading visitors at the crossroads.
“There are several international horses . . . that are quite a long way down the order,” he said. “The stables are now considering whether they have a lead-up run.
“Sole Impact, the Japanese horse, is well down the Caulfield Cup list. He’s 29th so he’ll head to the Geelong Cup if he doesn’t get into the Caulfield Cup.
“Similarly Red Verdon, sitting at equal 20th in the Caulfield Cup, will run in the Caulfield Cup if they get a start but they will look at other options if he doesn’t and the Geelong Cup has been mentioned.
“Withhold came here specifically for the Melbourne Cup and he is 37th so he needs 13 horses to drop out between now and final declarations.
“The stable is considering a lead-up run now and if there is a lead-up run, it could be a race like the Geelong Cup.
The Geelong Cup, run on Wednesday week, has traditionally been an excellent race for the internationals.
Media Puzzle (2002), Bauer (’08), Americain (’10), Dunaden (’11), Gatewood (’12) and Qewy (’16) all won the Cup.