The 2017 Caulfield Cup barrier draw has been completed and early favourite Bonneval will jump from towards the outside of the field in the Group 1 event at Caulfield on Saturday.
Humidor was one of the big winners of the 2017 Caulfield Cup barrier draw that was held this afternoon. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos
Bonneval went to the top of the 2017 Caulfield Cup barrier draw betting market with Ladbrokes following her impressive wins in the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes and the Underwood Stakes, but she was a big drifter following her sixth place finish in the Ladbrokes Stakes.
The Makfi mare will jump from barrier 14 and trainer Murray Baker admits that the Australian Oaks winner will likely need some luck in running to claim yet another Group 1 victory.
“She seems perfect,” Baker said.
“It is a high-class field, there are 17 very good horses and there will be a lot of luck in the running.
“She is fit and she has a good record at 2400 metres – she has won two Oaks, so she should get the trip and she has a top-class jockey in Kerrin McEvoy.
“She will be in the second half of the field.”
The other leading contender that drew towards the outside of the Caulfield Cup barrier draw was Amelie’s Star, who will jump from barrier 13 with Craig Williams in the saddle.
Williams – who only picked up the ride this morning following the scratching of Admire Deus – admitted that he would have preferred to draw an inside barrier draw with Amelie’s Star, but he still believes that The Bart Cummings winner goes into the Caulfield Cup as a leading contender.
“We saw at Flemington last start over 2500 metres that she was very dominant,” Williams said.
“She beat the Melbourne Cup favourite and that is a really strong form reference.
“She is a mare that is in-form and I am really looking forward to the opportunity on her.
“I obviously would have liked to draw barrier one to five with her, but we will just sit down now and go through the race.”
Other horses that have drawn towards the outside of the 2017 Caulfield Cup field include He’s Our Rokkii (barrier 15), Sir Isaac Newton (barrier 17), Wicklow Brave (barrier 16) and Single Gaze (barrier 14).
Johannes Vermeer (barrier two) and Humidor (barrier seven) are locked in a battle for favouritism in 2017 Caulfield Cup betting markets and both horses drew favourably at the Caulfield Cup barrier draw this afternoon.
Ben Melham has landed the plumb ride on Johannes Vermeer in the Caulfield Cup and he believes that the inside barrier draw gives him plenty of options in the early stages of the Group 1 event.
“Everybody saw his run the other day and it was an exceptional run,” Melham said.
“More importantly, he has pulled up well and he is a horse that backs up really well.
“He has a lot of things in his favour and we can add a favourable draw to that now as well.
“He showed good speed from the barriers the other day and he relaxed nicely after that.
“He is an ideal horse for a Caulfield Cup.”
Other key Caulfield Cup barrier draw results include Marmelo (barrier ten), Jon Snow (barrier six), Ventura Storm (barrier four), Boom Time (barrier three), Abbey Marie (barrier five), Harlem (barrier one) and Lord Fandango (barrier nine).
