Incentivise charges into Melbourne Cup favouritism

SYDNEY: Australia’s greatest race could easily be Incentivise’s to lose after the most exciting and improved racehorse in the country romped home in the Caulfield Cup on Saturday.

Capping a meteoric rise, Incentivise trounced his rivals in the $A5 million ($NZ5.25 million) spring handicap to take a stranglehold on betting for the Melbourne Cup.

In spite of covering more ground than any other runner at

Caulfield, Incentivise strolled to the lead on the home turn and relegated Nonconformist and Persan to the minor placings.

And while jockey Brett Prebble admitted to a moment of concern as the pressure went on, as far as Melbourne Cup trials go they don’t come any better for 3200m at Flemington in 17 days.

‘‘I was surprised he came off the bridle sooner than I would have liked,’’ Prebble told the Seven Network.

‘‘All that is telling me is look out Melbourne Cup. He is going to eat [the distance].’’

Prebble is enjoying a golden spring, linking with Incentivise at the expense of Sydneybased jockey Glen Boss who could not travel to Melbourne because of Covid19 restrictions.

Incentivise’s rise also coincides with a return to the turf spotlight for Peter Moody.

Moody trained champion Black Caviar during her unblemished career of 25 wins but walked out on the game before rebuilding with a much smaller operation in 2020.

He was a late arrival at Caulfield, preferring to spend the countdown to the race with his family.

Moody took over the training of Incentivise for the spring after the horse made a name for himself during the Queensland winter carnival and figured in a partial sale.

Incentivise landed at Moody’s as the winner of his past six starts and after winning two group 1 races for the new stable was sent out one of the shortestpriced favourites in Caulfield

Cup history.

But coming from the deepest barrier draw made it a tough contract and Incentivise was trapped on a limb for most of the race.

Nevertheless, Prebble still had enough horse underneath him to fully commit his mount at the 800m and the horse did the rest.

The further he went the bigger the margin became and 31⁄2 lengths separated him from nearest chaser Nonconformist at the finish. Persan was another 13⁄4 lengths away in third.

It was the most decisive Caulfield Cup win since Might And Power had 71⁄2 lengths to spare in 1997.

And it also brought some joy on an otherwise tumultuous day for partowners Ozzie Kheir and Brae Sokolski after their 2020 WS Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet track was euthanised after breaking a foreleg during an early morning gallop at Moonee Valley.