Volkstok’n’barrell for Caulfield Cup
KIWI star Volkstok’n’barrell will run in the Caulfield Cup on Saturday after pleasing trainer Donna Logan in a track gallop yesterday morning.
Craig Newitt will ride Volkstok’n’barrell in the cup, which also features fellow Kiwis Mongolian Khan, Who Shot Thebarman, Lucia Valentina and Rising Romance after the field was confirmed yesterday.
Logan rang all Volkstok’n’barrell’s owners after his gallop on the Caulfield course proper.
‘‘I spoke to all the clients and he’s going to take his place. The horse is physically well and we’re all happy.’’
Volkstok’n’barrell has failed to place in his four runs in Melbourne this spring, the latest in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington where he raced on the pace.
‘‘The leadup has left a little to be desired and on occasions it hasn’t been any fault of his own,’’ Logan, who trains in partnership with Chris Gibbs, said. ‘‘We’d like to see him ridden 5th, 6th or 7th to give him his best chance.’’
That responsibility will be left to Newitt, who replaces Craig Williams as the 4-year-old’s rider.
Williams will ride the raider Hokko Brave.
‘‘Craig [Newitt] gave him a
Japanese
gallop this morning with one of John Sargent’s horses and he said our bloke felt enormous, he was really rapt with him,’’ Logan said.
Mongolian Khan remained a $4.80 favourite with Australian bookmakers and the New Zealand TAB after the field was confirmed.
The Murray Baker-Andrew Forsman trained galloper ran an outstanding third in the Caulfield Stakes (2000m) on Saturday and looks primed for the 2400m test of the cup.
Lucia Valentina, who is owned by Wellingtonian Lib Petagna, also confirmed her place in the field after a solid gallop with race rival Set Square at Caulfield yesterday morning.
‘‘She went out with Set Square and it was good enough work for her to run on Saturday,’’ trainer Kris Lees said. ‘‘She ran well last year and we are confident she will run a big race again.’’
Four northern hemisphere visitors – the English pair of Snow Sky and Trip To Paris and Japanese stayers Fame Games and Hokko Brave – made the final field.