He may have only finished eighth in the Memsie Stakes over the weekend but the Darren Weir-trained Humidor has firmed notably in futures Caulfield Cup 2017 betting after impressing hoop Mark Zahra with the performance.

Lindsay Park’s favourite Vega Magic dominated the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) results at Caulfield on Saturday, a race that Teofilo five-year-old Humidor finished around five and a half lengths back in eighth.

The late run and ground covered in the final couple of hundred metres by Weir’s gelding however was ultra-impressive and Zahra was full of post-race praise for the Australian Guineas winner who ran the best final 800m sectional of the race (45.87s).

“He ran super,” Zahra told RSN on Sunday.

“Apart from the winners, he ran as good as anything on the day.”

Zahra replaced the suspended Damian Lane, on the galloper for a resuming sixth to Hartnell in the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m), and said it was only upwards this prep for Humidor who targets the Group 1 $3 million BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 21.

“Damian [Lane] gave me a heads up earlier that he can be a bit uptight before the races,” Zahra said.

“But he was really quiet yesterday and he was so quiet in the gates I didn’t want to disturb him, and we ended up being a bit slow out.

“We were stacked up down the side, but when Craig [Williams] went [on Vega Magic], everyone’s wheels were spinning, especially his [Humidor’s] for 200m.

“About 100m after the line, I was nearly jumping over Vega Magic.”

Following Humidor’s Memsie Stakes effort, he has firmed right into $11 second favouritism in the pre-field Caulfield Cup odds behind Hartnell ($6.50) at Ladbrokes.com.au.

Weir chases his first Caulfield Cup success this Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival and Humidor is doing plenty right ahead of the mile and a half classic.

The horse’s last start at the 2400m produced a second to the reigning Caulfield Cup winner Jameka on a Heavy (9) Rosehill track in the Group 1 The BMW in late March this season.

While Zahra would love to stay with Humidor next race, he knew Weir would be going back to Lane as soon as he could.

“Coming back to Darren [after Saturday] I said, ‘What’s he going for? He ran a bit straighter for me than Frosty [Lane],” Zahra joked.

“Nah, it’s Frosty’s ride.”

The Memsie Stakes was the first time Lane missed the mount on Humidor this year having been aboard the horse for all six of his starts since January including the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) success at Flemington on March 11.

Humidor has firms in from $15 to be on the second lining of Caulfield Cup betting at $11 behind the $6.50 favourite Hartnell.

The 2017 Caulfield Cup first acceptances close on September 26 so head to Ladbrokes.com.au now to check out the juicy early prices on the nominated stayers for the spring classic.