The 2017 Caulfield Cup field has been released and 17 stayers will contest the Group 1 event at Caulfield on Saturday.
Bonneval has been included in the 2017 Caulfield Cup field. Photo by: Steve Hart
The Caulfield Cup betting market was thrown on its head this morning when Admire Deus was ruled out of the race after suffering a serious injury at trackwork and his absence means that the Caulfield Cup has failed to draw a capacity field.
While Darren Weir may not have Admire Deus in the Caulfield Cup field, he still has a couple of leading chances in the race on the form of Humidor and Abbey Marie.
Humidor went to the top of the Caulfield Cup betting market with Ladbrokes following his dominant win in the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington on September 16 before he failed to fire when third behind Winx and Ventura Storm in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at the same venue on October 7.
Amelie’s Star has improved each time that she has been seen at the races this preparation and she heads into the Caulfield Cup on the back of an impressive victory in the Group 3 The Bart Cummings at Flemington on Turnbull Stakes Day.
Another stable with a very strong hand in the 2017 Caulfield Cup field is the Lindsay Park team, who have included He’s Our Rokkii, Ventura Storm, Boom Time and Harlem in the Group 1 event.
Harlem stamped himself as a leading Caulfield Cup contender with his impressive victory in the Naturalism Stakes at Caulfield on September 23 before he was a touch disappointing in The Bart Cummings, while Ventura Storm finished second behind Winx in the Turnbull Stakes.
Murray Baker won the 2015 edition of the Caulfield Cup with Mongolian Khan and he goes into this year’s race with two strong chances.
Bonneval started her 2017 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with impressive wins in the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes at The Valley on September 9 and the Group 1 Underwood Stakes at Caulfield on October 1, but she wasn’t able to replicate that level of performance in the Ladbrokes Stakes on Saturday.
There was speculation that Bonneval would miss the Caulfield Cup after it was reported that she pulled-up lame following the Ladbrokes Stakes, but Baker denied this and she will take her place this weekend.
Bonneval will be joined in the 2017 Caulfield Cup field by stablemate Jon Snow, who finished a credible third in the Ladbrokes Stakes on Saturday.
Ladbrokes Stakes winner Gailo Chop has not been included in the 2017 Caulfield Cup field, but the fast-finishing Johannes Vermeer has been and he is currently on top of the Caulfield Cup betting market with Ladbrokes.
Johannes Vermeer absolutely savaged the line to only be narrowly denied by Gailo Chop in the Ladbrokes Stakes and he looks as though he will relish the step-up to 2400 metres.
The 2017 Caulfield Cup field is rounded out by European stayer Marmelo, Lloyd Williams-owned Sir Isaac Newton, Willie Mullins-trained Wicklow Brave, Randwick Guineas winner Inference, tough mare Single Gaze, Peter Moody-owned Hardham and Ladbrokes Herbert Power Stakes winner Lord Fandango.
