The first of the ‘Big Three’ Melbourne Racing Spring Carnival features, the 2011 Caulfield Cup has been run and won by smart South Australian mare Southern Speed who claimed a lovely victory over a fast finishing Green Moon and the Gai Waterhouse-trained Tullamore.
One of the big Caulfield Cup betting market movers at Luxbet in from $21 to $10, Southern Image four-year-old Southern Speed had all the luck and did everything right when it mattered handing her trainers Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas, and jockey Craig Williams, their maiden Caulfield Cup success.
2011 Caulfield Cup winner Southern Speed is not going to the Melbourne Cup
Coming off a number of eye-catching runs in Melbourne including her last-start fourth behind December Draw in the Turnbull Stakes last-start, Southern Speed became a serious Caulfield Cup 2011 chance after she drew the plumb barrier four, moving into three with the scratching of the Caulfield Cup emergencies.
“She drew the treat draw and Leon said just go and win and win easy,” Williams said.
And that she did.
While Caulfield Cup favourite December Draw failed badly finishing at the very back end of the field in last, Southern Speed became just the third Caulfield Cup winning mare in history joining Ethereal (2001) and Arctic Scent (1996).
Ridden to perfection by Williams, Southern Speed was able to settle nicely in fourth with the likes of the John Moore-trained Mighty High and Niwot moving forward fast to set a genuine pace.
December Draw was in big trouble by the turn sitting fourth last and was never going to win from their position; they were beaten before the home turn in a let-down for the punters that had money on the easing favourite.
The Lloyd Williams-owned Newcastle Gold Cup winner Green Moon lead around the home turn, with Anthony Freedman’s gun German import Lucas Cranach looming down the outside.
Southern Speed ($10 Luxbet) was taken up on the outside and begun closing the gap, hitting the front with 100 metres left to travel before racing away to win the 2011 Caulfield Cup result a length and a half clear of an eye-catching Green Moon ($11 Luxbet) with Tullamore ($20 Luxbet) finishing off the Caulfield Cup Trifecta a further half-length away in third.
Runner-up Green Moon looked sensation today and was outstanding covering ground late, pressing forward after getting stuck wide; and Tullamore was equally as brave – both going on to the 2011 Melbourne Cup at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November.
The Caulfield Cup 2011 Result also looked good for the connections of fourth placegetter Manighar who improved one on their fifth to last year’s Caulfield Cup winner Descarado, and Lucas Cranach who was far from disgraced beaten just a nose over three lengths to finish fifth.
The 2011 Caulfield Cup result and finishing order can be found below, today’s race set to have a big impact on the Melbourne Cup betting markets at Luxbet.
Southern Speed, however, is not nominated for the Melbourne Cup and it seems connections are happy with the Caulfield Cup victory today and won’t pay the hefty late entry to get her into the world’s richest handicap.
“It was sensational,” co-trained Leon Macdonald said of today’s victory.
“It (the Caulfield Cup) was the one we wanted.”
Macdonald said he always believed in Southern Speed’s ability to win today after her class last season once she was stepped up in distance.
“As soon as she got to a mile plus she started to show her form,” he said.
“She’s raced very well.
“She’s not in the Melbourne Cup.
“I don’t think so…we’ve done our job.”
Part-owner Trevor Robertson summed it up well when he said they were now a part of Australian racing history.
“It’s a great, great feeling,” he said.
“It’s the high of racing and we’ve been in it a long time.
“I guess we’re part of racing history now.”
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2011 Caulfield Cup Finishing Order & Results
| Finish | No. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 18 | SOUTHERN SPEED(3) | Craig Williams | Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas | 52.5 | 2-28.44 |
| 2nd | 16 | GREEN MOON(13) | Nicholas Hall | Robert Hickmott | 53.0 | 1.5L |
| 3rd | 11 | TULLAMORE(11) | Craig Newitt | Gai Waterhouse | 54.5 | 2.0L |
| 4th | 3 | MANIGHAR(4) | Damien Oliver | Luca Cumani | 56.5 | 3.0L |
| 5th | 5 | LUCAS CRANACH(2) | Corey Brown | Anthony Freedman | 56.0 | 3.1L |
| 6th | 4 | UNUSUAL SUSPECT(6) | Nash Rawiller | Michael Kent | 56.5 | 3.5L |
| 7th | 2 | DRUNKEN SAILOR(14) | Dwayne Dunn | Luca Cumani | 56.5 | 4.3L |
| 8th | 17 | MACEDONIAN(8) | Luke Nolen | Peter G Moody | 53.0 | 4.6L |
| 9th | 8 | SHOOTOFF(12) | Kerrin McEvoy | Graeme Rogerson | 55.0 | 5.1L |
| 10th | 6 | PRECEDENCE(16) | Steven Arnold | Bart Cummings | 56.0 | 6.1L |
| 11th | 12 | ABSOLUTELY(18) | Brad Rawiller | Michael Kent | 54.0 | 6.2L |
| 12th | 14 | NIWOT(17) | Dean Yendall | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 53.5 | 6.4L |
| 13th | 7 | HAWK ISLAND(10) | Glyn Schofield | Chris Waller | 55.5 | 7.6L |
| 14th | 10 | SAPTAPADI(5) | Mark Zahra | Brian Ellison | 54.5 | 8.4L |
| 15th | 13 | DREAM PEDLAR(15) | Chris Symons | Troy Blacker | 53.5 | 10.6L |
| 16th | 15 | DOMESKY(7) | Brenton Avdulla | Michael Kent | 53.0 | 16.1L |
| 17th | 1 | MIGHTY HIGH(1) | Darren Beadman | John Moore | 57.0 | 22.1L |
| 18th | 9 | DECEMBER DRAW(9) | Michael Rodd | Mark Kavanagh | 54.5 | 24.9L |
| Src | 19 | SPECHENKA | Michael Walker | Ben Ahrens | ||
| Src | 20 | LUCKY EIGHTY EIGHT | Michelle Payne | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | ||
| Src | 21 | ANUDJAWUN | Chris Symons | Shaun Dwyer | ||
| Src | 22 | MIDNIGHT MARTINI | Mark Kavanagh |
