Rain will not impact the running of the 2022 Caulfield Cup: Tabcorp advice on how to pick a winner
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The sun shone on Caulfield Racecourse on Friday, allaying fears that a recent rain shower could lead to the Caulfield Cup being postponed, but punters will have to push muddy larks back onto the soggy track.
Despite the dwindling rain, the amount of water that has fallen in recent days means that the current Heavy 10 rating is unlikely to be upgraded, so the Cup will remain a real competition.
Duais was one of the early favorites for the Caulfield Cup but was unseeded on all four previous heavy track runs.
Melbourne received half of its October rainfall in 30 minutes this week, while large parts of Victoria have experienced flooding or received flooding from the state government.
Fortunately there was a lot of sunshine on Friday and the forecast is for dry conditions for the big race on Saturday.
Widespread areas of Melbourne have been hit by flash flooding after a rainstorm, but officials insist the Caulfield circuit is in surprisingly good condition.
The $5 million cup was never canceled even during World War II, and Melbourne Racing Club director of racing Jake Norton said a postponement “had never been in calculations”.
“It’s more like trying to get through this heavy tire as quickly as possible to give the track the best chance of drying up.”
Punters will be able to dress up for the Caulfield meeting as the rain has abated and dry conditions are forecast for Saturday.
Since Caulfield hosted the Thousand Guineas on Wednesday, the running rail has moved out six feet to take the chopped insides out of play and hopefully provide a surface sturdy enough not to scratch too much.
“Until the 400m there isn’t much marking on the track. We’ve covered the wear and tear. Even though they came off the side of the fence, we still covered most of it,” Bailey said.
‘It’s not bad at all. I am pleasantly surprised.
“In the straight they got wider. But they spread out across the track, so you have consistent wear throughout. It’s definitely not excessive damage.’
Only beaten by a few lengths despite a scorching run on the final start, Gold Trip is a contender in the Caulfield Cup but will lug the top weight.
Norton said the perfect weather for racing on Saturday would mean a large crowd would come to the track for the Cup.
“It’s still going to be a great day at the races, perfect conditions for a day out,” he said.
‘But people will have to take the difficult circumstances into account when filling in the form’
The analysis by Tabcorp
It could be a great day for trainer John O’Shea who has live chances in the two biggest races of the afternoon.
He saddles second favorite Lost And Running at The TAB Everest in Sydney, while Benaud is his representative in the Caulfield Cup.
Punters will look for horses with a ‘w’ next to their name to indicate previous wins on rain-stricken tracks.
Named after legendary cricket broadcaster Ritchie Benaud, the gray was a standout second in The Kingston Town before finishing sixth in the age-class company in the Caulfield Stakes last week.
He finished a close second to star galloper Hitotsu in the ATC Derby over the same distance in the fall and if O’Shea proves him right, he will be there at the finish.
Smokin Romans is the favorite and deserves to have won the Naturalism and Turnbull Stakes over 2000 meters. The extra distance from this won’t be a problem as he’s twice placed above 2400m and he’s also getting the services of ace jockey Jamie Kah.
No Compromise won the Metropolitan in Sydney a fortnight ago and loves the wet so here makes a great investment for any trip, while Duais, Nonconformist and Gold Trip are all chances in a wide open Caulfield Cup.
TAB has reported big bets on the favorite, including $5,000 @ $4.40, while the Sydney-trained Knight’s Order has a decent return for one gambler after spending $5,000 @ $13.
The field (by number, name, barrier and odds)
1. Golden Journey (12) 14-1
J: Mark Zahra T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace W: 57.5 kg
2. Duais (9) 14-1
J: Joshua Parr T: Edward Cummings W: 55.5 kg
3. Knighthood (18) 10-1
J: Tim Clark T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott W: 55.5 kg
4. Montefilia (16) 19-1
J: Jason Collett T: David Payne W: 55.5 kg
5. Numerian (10) 12-1
J: Tommy Berry T: Annabel Neasham W: 55.5 kg
6. Nonconformist (15) 12-1
J: Jordan Childs T: Grahame Begg W: 54.5 kg
7. Vow and Declaration (17) 23-1
J: Blake Shinn T: Danny O’brien W: 54kg
8. No Compromise (13) 20-1
J: Craig Newitt T: Chris Waller W: 53.5 kg
9. Alegron (14) 11-1
J: Ethan Brown T: James Cummings W: 53 kg
10. Benaud (20) 19-2
J: Regan Bayliss T: John O’shea W: 53kg
11. Big House (3) 23-1
J: Brett Prebble T: Chris Waller W: 53kg
12. Inspirational Girl (1) 16-1
J: Jye Mcneil T: Danny O’brien W: 53kg
13. Maximum (19) 26-1
J: Ben Melham T: John O’shea W: 53kg
14. Sound (4) 101-1
J: Blaike Mcdougall T: Michael Moroney W: 53kg
15. Chapada (11) 51-1
J: Daniel Stackhouse T: Michael Moroney W: 52.5 kg
16. Crystal Pegasus (2) 81-1
J: Damien Thornton T: Chris Waller W: 52kg
17. Smoking Romans (5) 4-1
J: Mrs Jamie Kah T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace W: 51.5 kg
18. Tralee Rose (8) 81-1
J: Dean Yendall T: Symon Wilde W: 51.5 kg
Emergencies: Durston (6), Makram (7)