The Caulfield Cup 2017 first acceptances have closed leaving 70 horses still in the mix for the mile and a half classic on October 21.
Early favourite Humidor is one of a dozen 2017 Caulfield Cup first acceptances for trainer Darren Weir. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Group 1 $3 million BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) is the first of the big three spring majors and clear favourite in futures betting on the event is the Darren Weir-trained Humidor.
Humidor firmed in Caulfield Cup calculations moving to the top of the order of entry after the Teofilo five-year-old won the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) on September 16, defeating Hartnell (2nd) and Black Heart Bart (3rd).
Weir is yet to prepare a Caulfield Cup winner but has a genuine chance with Humidor this time in as well as with his Japanese import Admire Deus who touched down in Australia on Tuesday morning.
Admire Deus is officially the first international to arrive in Victoria for the spring and joins Weir’s stables as an evergreen seven-year-old.
Weir has a total of 12 Caulfield Cup entries still remaining including also Perth Cup winner over the distance Star Exhibit, Big Duke who runs in this weekend’s The Metropolitan (2400m) in Sydney and Gailo Chop.
The other key international Caulfield Cup first acceptances are the Charlie Appleby-trained Bendigo Cup – Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner down under last spring Francis Of Assisi and recent Group 2 Prix Kergorlay winning British stayer Marmelo.
The original 58kg Caulfield Cup top weight Hartnell remains in the mix for Godolphin, the James Cummings-trained seven-year-old last seen running second in the Makybe Diva Stakes.
Hartnell ran second in last year’s Ladbrokes Cox Plate and third over the two miles in the famous Melbourne Cup, but is yet to line-up in a Caulfield Cup field.
He has his next start this Sunday in the Group 1 $750,000 Underwood Stakes (1800m) before a final call is made on whether he targets the Caulfield Cup or follow Saturday’s Group 1 $3 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) this season.
Last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Almandin is being kept safe in futures Caulfield Cup betting after the Lloyd Williams-owned import was among the key first acceptors.
Almandin is currently weighted on 56.5kg for the Caulfield Cup after the veteran eight-year-old’s eye-catching Listed JRA Trophy (2500m) win at Flemington two weeks ago.
After Humidor, the other horse right up the Caulfield Cup ballot order is the Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman-trained mare Bonneval.
Jameka (2016) won the Caulfield Cup beating the boys last spring and this season the bookies are taking no chances with the autumn’s NZ Oaks – ATC Oaks double winner Bonneval.
She is at 52.5kg in the Caulfield Cup weights and put in the ideal first-up run down under on September 9 winning Moonee Valley’s Group 2 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m).
The four-year-old daughter of Makfi has her next run on Sunday taking on Hartnell in Caulfield’s Underwood Stakes on the same day Sydney hosts the NRL Grand Final.
Co-trainer Baker won the Caulfield Cup in 2015 with Mongolian Khan and along with the well-fancied Bonneval the stable has also paid first acceptances for reigning ATC Derby winner Jon Snow and lightweight mare Lizzie L’Amour.
The only horse to currently receive a Caulfield Cup weight penalty meanwhile is the Lindsay Park-trained Harlem with 51.5kg after getting an extra half-kilo for his weekend win in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m).
Other noteworthy Caulfield Cup first acceptor include Gingernuts who blitzed a Group 1 race across the Tasman last weekend and the Chris Waller-trained Egg Tart who lines-up in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) in Sydney on Saturday.
The official Caulfield Cup second acceptances are open until 12pm (local time) on October 12 before the final field is released on Tuesday October 17.
Check out the full list of 2017 Caulfield Cup first acceptors below, heading to Ladbrokes.com.au for the updated Group 1 spring racing odds.
2017 Caulfield Cup First Acceptances
Caulfield Racecourse – 21/10/2017
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Ballot | Weight | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x42212x681 | HUMIDOR (NZ) | G | 5 | Darren Weir | 1 | 56kg | 3 |
| 2 | x5P31111x1 | BONNEVAL (NZ) | M | 4 | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | 2 | 52.5kg | 3.5 |
| 3 | x37710x247 | TALLY | G | 5 | James Cummings | 3 | 54kg | 5 |
| 4 | 384x386x51 | HARLEM (GB) | H | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 4 | 51.5kg (includes 0.5kg penalty) | 8 |
| 5 | 23x2822x12 | HARTNELL (GB) | G | 7 | James Cummings | 5 | 58kg | 1 |
| 6 | 4011115×51 | GINGERNUTS (NZ) | G | 4 | Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards | 6 | 55kg | 2.5 |
| 7 | x665111x21 | ALMANDIN (GER) | G | 8 | Robert Hickmott | 7 | 56.5kg | 2.5 |
| 8 | 3337311×68 | JON SNOW (NZ) | H | 4 | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | 8 | 54.5kg | 3 |
| 9 | 39x260x34x | ADMIRE DEUS (JPN) | H | 7 | Darren Weir | 9 | 56kg | 3 |
| 10 | x12x3361x8 | SENSE OF OCCASION | G | 7 | Kris Lees | 10 | 55.5kg | 3.5 |
| 11 | 1x00x518x7 | TAVAGO (NZ) | G | 5 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 11 | 55kg | 4 |
| 12 | 33x5126x69 | INFERENCE | H | 4 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 12 | 53.5kg | 4 |
| 13 | 1232x1521x | MARMELO (GB) | H | 5 | Hughie Morrison | 13 | 55kg | 4 |
| 14 | 31x11111x2 | EGG TART | M | 4 | Chris Waller | 14 | 51.5kg | 4.5 |
| 15 | 0312612×05 | SINGLE GAZE | M | 5 | Nick Olive | 15 | 53kg | 4.5 |
| 16 | 1x3x45712x | JOHANNES VERMEER (IRE) | H | 5 | Aidan O’Brien | 16 | 54.5kg | 4.5 |
| 17 | 70x6713x71 | HARDHAM | H | 4 | David Brideoake | 17 | 52.5kg | 5 |
| 18 | 10×8142444 | WICKLOW BRAVE (GB) | G | 9 | William Mullins | 18 | 54kg | 5 |
| 19 | 0x46x11x8x | FRANCIS OF ASSISI (IRE) | G | 8 | Charlie Appleby | 19 | 54kg | 5 |
| 20 | 1211x12x9L | STAR EXHIBIT | G | 6 | Darren Weir | 20= | 54kg | 5 |
| 21 | 01121x5x76 | VENTURA STORM (IRE) | H | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 20= | 54kg | 5 |
| 22 | 10x8747x46 | HE’S OUR ROKKII (NZ) | G | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 22 | 54kg | 5 |
| 23 | 14407x5x86 | SIR ISAAC NEWTON (GB) | G | 6 | Robert Hickmott | 23 | 54kg | 5 |
| 24 | 35x2111x08 | MONTOYA’S SECRET | M | 4 | Leon & Troy Corstens | 24 | 50.5kg | 5.5 |
| 25 | 46557x135x | STEEL OF MADRID (IRE) | H | 5 | Tony McEvoy | 25 | 53.5kg | 5.5 |
| 26 | 121113×550 | BIG DUKE (IRE) | G | 6 | Darren Weir | 26 | 53.5kg | 5.5 |
| 27 | x6321220x0 | SAVILE ROW (NZ) | H | 4 | Michael Moroney | 27 | 51.5kg | 6 |
| 28 | 1x8400x725 | ABBEY MARIE | M | 5 | Michael Kent | 28 | 51.5kg | 6 |
| 29 | 16151021×7 | LIZZIE L’AMOUR (NZ) | M | 5 | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | 29 | 51.5kg | 6 |
| 30 | x031x270x0 | GALLANTE (IRE) | G | 7 | Robert Hickmott | 30= | 53kg | 6 |
| 31 | 11x6248x2x | WALL OF FIRE (IRE) | H | 5 | Hugo Palmer | 30= | 53kg | 6 |
| 32 | 1x37301x37 | CHOCANTE (NZ) | G | 5 | Stephen Marsh | 32 | 53kg | 6 |
| 33 | x212411x13 | STAMPEDE | H | 5 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 33 | 53kg | 6 |
| 34 | x4214x8394 | AMELIE’S STAR | M | 6 | Darren Weir | 34 | 51kg | 6.5 |
| 35 | 2x1240x542 | ANTONIO GIUSEPPE (NZ) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 35 | 52.5kg | 6.5 |
| 36 | 1516510×39 | BOOM TIME | H | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 36 | 52kg | 7 |
| 37 | 21x5338x11 | COMIN’ THROUGH | H | 4 | Chris Waller | 37 | 50kg | 7.5 |
| 38 | 3x6905x222 | TOM MELBOURNE (IRE) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | 38 | 51.5kg | 7.5 |
| 39 | 71135104×0 | ANNUS MIRABILIS (IRE) | G | 7 | Stuart Webb | 39 | 51.5kg | 7.5 |
| 40 | 7x39x12x13 | ALOFT (IRE) | G | 6 | Robert Hickmott | 40 | 51.5kg | 7.5 |
| 41 | x4030x2283 | SO SI BON | H | 4 | Robbie Laing | 41 | 50kg | 8 |
| 42 | x34340x468 | HARLOW GOLD (NZ) | M | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 42 | 50kg | 8.5 |
| 43 | 8442×31511 | RIVEN LIGHT (IRE) | G | 6 | William Mullins | 43 | 50.5kg | 8.5 |
| 44 | 31x073x000 | BERISHA | G | 6 | Robert Smerdon | 44= | 50.5kg | 8.5 |
| 45 | x533x0x038 | FOUNDATION (IRE) | G | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 44= | 50.5kg | 8.5 |
| 46 | x354965x41 | ANAHEIM | H | 4 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 46 | 50kg | 9 |
| 47 | 820x076x07 | GREY LION (IRE) | H | 6 | Matt Cumani | 47= | 50kg | 9 |
| 48 | 1231x2x212 | SAMOVARE | M | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 47= | 50kg | 9 |
| 49 | 41x122x253 | LIFE LESS ORDINARY (IRE) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | 49 | 50kg | 9 |
| 50 | x65123x813 | BROADSIDE (NZ) | G | 6 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 50 | 50kg | 9 |
| 51 | 482x542x99 | VENGEUR MASQUE (IRE) | G | 6 | Michael Moroney | 51 | 50kg | 9 |
| 52 | 121x3811x7 | GALLIC CHIEFTAIN (FR) | H | 5 | Darren Weir | 52 | 50kg | 9 |
| 53 | 4x4197x887 | RAW IMPULSE (GB) | H | 6 | Darren Weir | 53 | 50kg | 9 |
| 54 | 181x37x014 | GAILO CHOP (FR) | G | 7 | Darren Weir | 54 | 55.5kg | 3.5 |
| 55 | x80x621x02 | GUARDINI (FR) | H | 7 | Darren Weir | 55 | 53kg | 6 |
| 56 | 0x0D71x000 | AMRALAH (IRE) | H | 8 | Robert Hickmott | 56 | 52kg | 7 |
| 57 | 0x4231245x | CHANCE TO DANCE (IRE) | G | 8 | Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards | 57 | 51.5kg | 7.5 |
| 58 | 624x42x32x | KIDMENEVER (IRE) | H | 5 | Charlie Appleby | 58 | 50.5kg | 8.5 |
| 59 | x891413559 | CHARLEVOIX | G | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 59= | 50kg | 9 |
| 60 | 5225223×54 | COOL CHAP | G | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 59= | 50kg | 9 |
| 61 | 0184260×50 | FANATIC (NZ) | M | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 59= | 50kg | 9 |
| 62 | x830x33x24 | FOUNDRY (IRE) | G | 8 | Robert Hickmott | 59= | 50kg | 9 |
| 63 | 9×17351116 | KELLSTORM (IRE) | H | 5 | Darren Weir | 59= | 50kg | 9 |
| 64 | 2x10x3x823 | KILMACURRAGH (NZ) | G | 5 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 59= | 50kg | 9 |
| 65 | 1155x515x2 | LORD FANDANGO (GER) | H | 5 | Archie Alexander | 59= | 50kg | 9 |
| 66 | 9520449×00 | LORD VAN PERCY (GB) | G | 8 | Darren Weir | 59= | 50kg | 9 |
| 67 | 213×009435 | LORESHO (FR) | H | 7 | Darren Weir | 59= | 50kg | 9 |
| 68 | 00x0x770x0 | MAGICOOL | G | 6 | Tony Romeo | 59= | 50kg | 9 |
| 69 | 8×3114 | TAIKOMOCHI | G | 4 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 59= | 50kg | 9 |
| 70 | 1513059×1 | WHEAL LEISURE | M | 4 | Archie Alexander | 59= | 50kg | 9 |
