Johannes Vermeer Eyes 2017 Caulfield Cup Run for O’Brien

Ace Irish horseman Aidan O’Brien could take the advice of Melbourne Cup winning hoop Ryan Moore and head back down under this spring to target the Caulfield Cup 2017 with his progressive stayer Johannes Vermeer.

Jockey Ryan Moore has described the Aidan O’Brien-trained Johannes Vermeer as a Caulfield Cup horse ahead of the spring down under. Photo: Sarah Ebbett.

Moore, who won the ‘race that stops a nation’ aboard German raider Protectionist in 2014, was in the saddle of O’Brien’s Galileo four-year-old for his weekend win at The Curragh in the Group 3 Finlay Volvo International Stakes (1980m).

The win followed a brave run for seventh when around four lengths beaten by winning stablemate and 2015 Cox Plate third placegetter Highland Reel in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (2012m) at Ascot late last month.

It was the European four-year-old’s first win since November in 2015 and Moore was full of post-race praise for Johannes Vermeer according to Coolmore trainer O’Brien.

“You’d be delighted with Johannes Vermeer. Ryan said he travels well and quickens well but doesn’t do an awful lot when he gets to the front,” O’Brien told Racing UK.

“Ryan said he could be a Caulfield Cup horse.

“He has options and we’ll see. We’ll look at races over a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half.

“That’s very good ground today and he has form on soft ground as well.”

The $3.15 million Group 1 BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) runs on October 21 and O’Brien is keen to saddle-up another stayer in the mile and a half classic after the seventh placing of Sir Isaac Newton behind Jameka in the race last Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

O’Brien is best known by the Aussie punters for preparing the 2014 W.S. Cox Plate winner Adelaide for his win in Australasia’s weight-for-age classic at Moonee Valley.

He has also had a number of runners in the iconic Melbourne Cup over the two miles at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November over the years for a top result when third with Mahler in 2007.

Caulfield Cup 2017 nominations close on Tuesday August 29 along with those for the $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m).

All-in Caulfield Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au are currently a wide open affair with six equal $17 favourites including the O’Brien-trained Idaho who is the best fancied of the early international hopefuls.

Check out the full futures Caulfield Cup betting markets and upcoming spring Group 1 racing odds online now at Ladbrokes.com.au.